Family Reunion
by missmarytodd
Summary: After finding evidence of her parent's secret past, 16 year old, Mar'i Grayson accidentally bumps into Warp's time clock which is on display in her dad's office, and is transported to Titans Tower in 2006 where hi-jinks ensue.
1. Chapter 1

**Gotham City, 2032**

"_Mar'i you are going to be late!"_

Mar'i Grayson groaned and slowly rolled over toward her nightstand. She picked up her phone, and checked the clock. 7:32. She needed to catch the metro at 7:45 to make it to school on time. She begrudgingly hoisted herself out of bed and ran a brush through her raven hair and threw on a pair of skinny jeans. A comfy maroon t-shirt that was conveniently laying on her desk chair along with the pile of chemistry homework she had been slaving over the night before. 10 grade sucked. She was told college was harder, but she was sure whoever told her that hadn't taken AP Chem.

After throwing her school supplies into her backpack, she rushed down stairs accidentally running into her dad who was also heading out the door.

"Hey, hey slow your roll," He stopped her with a smile.

Mar'i smirked then smiled and the two embraced. Her dad, Dick, was dressed for work in his navy blue police uniform. It smelled fresh. Her mom must have ironed it for him.

"Sorry, Dad. I overslept again."

"Chemistry keeping you up late?"

"Ugh… yes. It's making me reconsider my life."

Dick laughed.

"If you want to be a forensic scientist, Chemistry is pretty important. Don't give up just yet."

"Yeah, but sometime, I think it would just be better if I quit everything and joined the circus or something. Screw college. Who needs it when you can do cartwheels?"

Dick laughed to himself. He studied is daughter for a minute, she did look tired. In fact, really tired. It reminded him much of himself at her age. Even students, need a break.

"So… it's Friday. I wouldn't normally do this, but want to… come to work with me today?"

Mar'i's eyes widened with disbelief and simultaneous delight.

"You mean, patrol with you?!"

"I'm not patrolling today. Boring desk work. Filing reports. Sorry to burst your bubble."

Mar'i's face fell.

"You know I can't take you on patrol," Dick explained. "It's too dangerous. The Commissioner wouldn't allow it and not to mention your mom would kill me. But... I think she might agree to let you miss school since I'm stuck at the desk today." He winked at her. "It's your choice. Chemistry, or hooky with your Dad."

"You never let me miss school."

"There's a first time for everything." Dick sighed. "You've been working nonstop for the past few weeks. Let's see if we can convince your mom."

They entered the kitchen where Mar'i's mom, Kori, was cleaning the counters. Her amber hair was in a loose ponytail with small flyaways lightly framing her face. With her back turned to her daughter and husband, Dick gently placed his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good morning," he whispered in her ear.

Mar'i slightly threw up in her mouth a little, but she also loved the way her dad loved her mom. Kori blushed putting down her dish rags and turned to face Dick. "Good morning to you. I see you found your uniform."

"Thanks for washing it for me." Dick said. "You know you absolutely stunning you look today, right?"

"I have yet to shower, I have dirt under my nails, and my hair's a mess. I wouldn't call that stunning." Kori smirked. What do you want, Dick?" She smiled, raising and eyebrow.

He proposed the idea of Mar'i going to work with him, but Kori wasn't convinced.

"I think she just needs a break. We won't make it a habit."

Kori looked at Dick then to Mar'i who was waiting with anticipation for her answer. She wasn't thrilled about the idea of her daughter hanging out at the station where villains like the Joker and Riddler frequented.

"I'm at the desk today, Kor." Dick explained to her. "We won't be going anywhere."

"Please, Mom." Mar'i begged. "I won't miss anymore school this year! I've had perfect attendance since the 6th grade. I'm pretty sure they won't miss me one day."

Kori rubbed her forehead and sighed.

"Fine. But you are not to leave the office. If anything happens to her Dick, I swear to X'hal-"

His eyes widened and he pulled her into an abrupt kiss.

"Ugh! Can you guys please get a room or something?! I'll take that as a yes and will wait in the car. Gross..." She stomped off to the car to avoid the gross make out session that could potentially occur.

Once she exited the room, her parents ceased their kiss and waited to hear the front door close. Dick looked at Kori, who instantly knew.

"I'm sorry, Dick. I- "

"It's okay. We just can't have her asking who X'hal is." He smiled and gave her a quick peck on the lips and grabbed his keys on the table. "She'll be safe. I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

**-That evening-**

"Richard Grayson, you told me she would be safe." Kori fumed, pointing at her daughter who was sitting uncomfortably on their living room sofa with three small scratches on her forearm.

"She _is_ safe, Kori. Kids get scratches all the time!"

That's true, but they get their scratches from skateboarding or tripping over their own feet. My child, on the other hand, got a scratch from CATWOMAN. Please explain why you are not the least bit concerned."

Mar'i interjected, not able to take the arguing anymore.

"It's not Dad's fault. I followed him outside when they needed an extra cop to escort her in. He told me to say in the office and I didn't listen. I'm sorry... but at least I have a cool story to tell my friends on Monday, right?" She laughed nervously.

Kori lost it.

"No, you will not be telling your friends anything. You think this is a joking matter. She is a criminal. It is not comical in the least!"

"But I'm okay! Dad even put rubbing alcohol on it! Why can't you trust me!? I'm okay"

"You are not to go to visit the station anymore. Mar'i, my foot is descending."

_Oh no... _Dick thought to himself. C_alm down, Kor._ Mar'i was about to yell back but stopped and gave an exasperated laugh.

"Descending your foot? That's a new one."

Kori became very flushed and flustered. "I mean, I... I'm lowering my foot down!"

"The phrase is putting your foot down, Mom!"

"Yes, I know the phrase. I am putting down my foot, and you are grounded for the weekend."

"Grounded?! Are you kidding me?! You haven't grounded me since I was 13!"

Even Dick was taken aback at Kori's punishment. "Look, Kor, I know you're upset, but I'm not sure this warrants a grounding."

"Dick, don't be a CLORBAG! I'm am angry with you too. You told me she would be unharmed and well, but instead, you allowed a ZOLWAG TUBECK PRICKETIG to attack our BUMGORF. Have you anything to say?!

The room fell silent. Dick's eyes were wide a saucers and Mar'i was just as stunned. Kori placed both hands over her mouth. It all just came out.

"Kori, you have calm down. You're doing... that thing you do when you get frustrated."

Mar'i let out a laugh. This wasn't the first time her mom seemed to get tongue-tied when they argued.

"Yeah, Mom, did you forget how to speak the English language or something?"

With that comment, Kori froze and Dick cut his eyes to Mar'i causing her to laugh to fade. She crossed a line.

"Go to your room. Now!"


	3. Chapter 3

The argument was over, but not resolved. Kori sunk into her bed exhausted and glanced at the clock on her night table. _11:00pm_. She groaned and laid her head down on the pillow.

She had slipped up. Multiple times. Maybe the years of secrecy were finally taking their toll. When she and Dick were married they made the difficult decision to leave their pasts… in the past. She had learned to blend into society like any other woman. She went to the grocery store. She cared for her family. She could drive a car now. She volunteered at Mar'i's school, but yet she still felt different. Her grammer had even improved over the years, but sometimes, she still became confused, forgetting common words or figures of speech that she had learned. And sometimes, much like tonight, her native tongue would come out of nowhere, especially when she became angry.

She turned over on her side ready to fall asleep when she felt her husband's hand on her shoulder.

"You know, I know it wasn't under the best of circumstances, but it was nice to see you again… _Starfire_."

She smiled, and she felt her face grow warm at the sound of him saying her name. It had been too long since she heard him speak it. She turned over to face him, his deep blue eyes seemed to be smiling at her.

"_Robin_," she took his hands in hers.

They lay there for a moment enjoying the silence. It was like old times of sitting on the roof of the tower. She missed those days. Those days were harder, but at the same time, simpler? She wasn't sure, but it felt less complicated than hiding herself from her daughter.

"I think we need to tell her."

Kori's felt her stomach drop.

"I cannot…"

"You have to! It's exhausting you. And frankly, it's exhausting to me too. She deserves to know. She's starting to question things more. Did you know she made a comment today about joining the circus? She was kidding, but it took everything in me to not tell her about her grandparents. "

This made Kori's heart hurt. Robin more than anything wanted her to know about _The Flying Graysons_. She remembered how thrilled he was when Mar'i took an interest in gymnastics as a child. It was close enough to acrobatics that he felt like he was watching himself on the mat. She was really good too, and despite taking a break to focus on school, she could still do a mean back handspring.

"Robin, of course I want her to know, but if she were to obtain my powers, she would have gotten them years ago. I can't get her hopes up thinking she will be able to fly and whatever else when she may not. It is best that she believes she is fully human. I do not want her having the same difficulties as I did."

"She can handle it."

"It threatens her safety. This is why we chose a civil life. I do not want her to be a target every day as we were.

Dick sighed and sat up, as did Kori.

"I understand, but our girl is strong." He smiled. "Like her mom was at her age."

Kori sighed.

"I will consider it. But, only if you are with me."

"Of course, we'll do together."

He leaned toward her, kissing her. She instantly calmed as he held her close. When they broke away, Dick held her face in her hands and gave her a playful smile

"Am I still a clorbag?"


	4. Chapter 4

Things were still tense, the following morning. The three Graysons sat quietly at the table eating their Saturday morning breakfast of eggs and toast. Mar'i resolved herself that she wasn't going to apologize to her mom. Sure, she obviously touched a nerve, but she also didn't understand why she had been grounded and was now trapped in the house all weekend.

Dick felt like he was walking on eggshells between the two of them. He kept eyeing Kori. It was the perfect time for them to explain everything but she obviously wasn't taking the hint. He put down his fork. Kori was going to hate him for this.

"Mar'i, your mom and I need to tell you something."

They both stopped eating, and Kori stared at him paralyzed by fear. She told him she would _consider_ telling her. She didn't realize they were going to discuss everything right here, right now.

"Okay… am I ungrounded?"

"Absolutely not." Dick answered. "After the comments you made last night, you're stuck kiddo."

This only perplexed her more.

"But Dad, even you have to admit Mom forgets how to speak normally when she gets mad. Or just complete gibberish."

"Can you please stop talking about me as if I'm not present?" Kori responded, agitated. "I am your mother and you will treat me as such. And besides…" She paused for a moment and met eyes with Dick. Apparently, this was the moment and she had not prepared for it. He gave her a nod as if to say "_you can do it."_ She reluctantly turned back to Mar'i. "... I was not speaking gibberish. I was speaking… I was speaking Tamaranian."

Silence. The air felt so thick and awkward. Mar'i sat, confused.

"Tamer… what?"

"Tamaranian. I am a Tamaranian."

"Which is…"

"Alien." Dick answered matter-of-factly. "Your mom's an alien."

The three were silent again. Mar'i continued to stare until she burst into laughter.

"You really have to work on your dad jokes because that wasn't funny!"

"This is not a joke." Kori answered, perturbed. "I am from the planet Tamaran."

Mar'i tried so hard to contain her laughter but she couldn't keep it together.

"Mom, you're from Wisconsin! If being from Wisconsin makes you an alien-"

"Mar'i, she's serious."

Mar'i looked at her dad in disbelief. Was he okay? Why did he sound so adamant? Why was he defending her mom like this? Did he not understand how insane she sounded? How _he_ sounded?!

"_Tamarack_ or whatever you're calling it, isn't even a planet. Do you realize how mental this sounds?"

"It's called _Tamaran_." Kori corrected. "And you're correct, but Tamaran is not in our solar system. It is in the Vega Star System."

That's it. Her mom was crazy. She sounded utterly convinced that this planet was real.

"So, if you're an alien that means, I'm an alien? Is dad an alien? If you're an alien, why aren't you green? Where's your spaceship? Wait... have you met... E.T.?"

Kori gritted her teeth. Never had Mar'i been so disrespectful, but she composed herself.

"Your father is human. I am not green because I am not a Martian. I do not have a ship because I crash landed on this planet."

"And to answer your question," Dick chimed in, "you _are_ half-Tamaranian."

"What the hell, Dad!" Mar'i couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Language!" he scolded her.

"I'm sorry, Dad, but you actually buy this crap?! Mom sounds like she needs to be admitted! I know we live in Gotham City, but even this is a bit much."

"Look," Dick folded his hands in front of him. "We _know_ this sounds crazy. There's a lot of things we haven't told you. In fact, there's a lot you don't know about us."

"Like, what, Dad? What else haven't you told me?"

Dick took a deep breath.

"I'm…"

_Oh no… _ Kori thought to herself. _Not now, Dick._

"Robin."

"Oh now _that's _a good one." Mar'i scoffed.

"It's the truth."

"Dad, do you think I'm stupid?" Mar't protested. "Robin's _my age._ You're what, 45? Besides, my friends think it's this kid, Damien, who's in Trig with me. He's always conveniently missing exams."

"I'm 41…" Dick corrected. "And I _was_ Robin. The first one. When I was ready to move on, I went West, met your mom, and then we moved back Gotham when you were born. Batman has had two other Robins since me."

"What the hell, Dad!"

"Language!" Kori corrected this time.

"I lied to you. _We_ lied to you. But we were hoping you could give us a chance to explain. Apparently, I was mistaken."

Kori cut her eyes to him as if to say, _told you so._

"You guys actually expect me to believe this?"

"I guess I don't. At least not right now, but I hope you'll be open to talking about it more at some point."

Mar'i was flabbergasted. Her mom was claiming to be an alien. Her dad was insisting he was _Robin the Boy Wonder._ And she was supposed to accept it? Absolutely not. She stood up and pushed in her chair.

"I can't do this." She left the kitchen and headed to her room. Dick and Kori sat for a moment then looked at each other.

"Well, that didn't go well." Dick ran his fingers through his hair, exasperated.

"Of course it didn't!" Kori replied. "You sprung that on her out of nowhere. And me too for that matter!"

"If we didn't tell her today, when would we?

"I don't know, but it didn't have to happen like this. Now she thinks we belong in Arkham."

"We're not criminals."

"No, but she does think we're insane."

"You could have shown her your starbolts or something! That might have helped! Or maybe flown around the room a little bit?"

Kori rubbed her forehead. It had been a long time since she had used her powers and in her frustration she couldn't fly today even if I wanted to. It was only 10:00am and she was already spent.

"Dick, let us just put this discussion under the table until we've all calmed down."

"The phrase is table the discussion."

Kori sighed in exhaustion.

"You know what I mean."

**6:00pm **

Mar'i avoided her parents the rest of the evening. She had plenty of Chemistry to keep her busy, not to mention, plenty of time because of her grounding. _An alien. Robin._ What was wrong with them? She was glad the mayor's gala was that evening. Gotham PD had been invited to attend the event as well as their spouses. Her parents would be gone until at least 1:00am and she couldn't be happier about it. She was hunkered down at her writing desk working on an equation when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. She turned around to see her dad dressed in a tux. Despite being angry with him, she had to admit he looked handsome.

"Hey, kiddo." He walked in and took a seat on her bed. "Still think we're crazy?"

"What do you expect me to think?" Mar'i sighed.

"That's fair," Dick looked at his hands. "Look, we love you so much. We've made a lot of mistakes this weekend. I didn't go about things well this morning. Your mom made sure to let me know multiple times." He laughed to himself. "I know everything we told you sounds completely absurd, but can you promise me you'll be open to talking about it with us again? It can be on your time."

She didn't know why he was acting so weird about all of this, but she knew he was sincere. That was one thing she loved about her dad.

"Of course, Dad. Have a great time, at the gala."

He stood up giving her a quick kiss on the forehead when Kori walked in wearing a deep purple ballgown, with a flattering sweetheart neckline and her hair in a low side bun.

"Are you ready to go, Dick?"

"With you," he walked over to her and gave her quick peck on the lips. "Anywhere."

Kori smiled and hid a blush as she reached into her clutch bag to pulled out a few dollars.

"I didn't have time to prep any dinner so, you can order in some pizza tonight. This should cover it."

She awkwardly handed it to Mar'i who just as awkwardly took the money.

"Thanks, Mom..."

"Remember, you are not to leave the house this evening."

"I know."

"Well," Dick interjected, looking at his wristwatch." "We should get going. Love you, kiddo."

"Love you too, Dad. And Mom... you- you look beautiful."

Kori smiled. "Thanks, Mar'i. We'll see you when we get home."

**8:00pm**

Mar'i was almost done with her homework when her calculator died. Mental math wasn't her strong suit and the calculator on her phone didn't have the correct settings, so the hunt for batteries began. After rummaging through the kitchen and living room drawers she made her way to her dad's office. She walked down the hallway and opened the door to find the office messier than she remembered. Of course she never went in Dad's office unless called her in to ask her a question or something. There were one too many file cabinets and the huge bulletin board was covered with snippets from _The Gotham Times_ and with photos of several Gotham criminals - Poison Ivy, the Joker, and Penguin. Her Dad did always have an interest in the city's crime rates and it's why he became a cop.

She began opening the drawers in search for the batteries only to discover her dad was a packrat. There was so much paper, like a paper tornado came from Kinkos and desolated every clean surface. The man really needed to go to the recycling bin. She opened the bottom drawer and instead of finding batteries, there was a box of photos which she found herself looking through. There was one of her and her Dad in her gymnastics uniform. It was from two years ago at her last meet. She had placed 1st. She studied her dad's face and it beamed with so much pride. She flipped through more of the photos. The next one was of her an her mom. She guessed she was about five or six. They were in the park eating corndogs covered in mustard. If there was one thing she and her mom could agree on was their love of mustard.

She continued her walk down memory lane until she got to the bottom of the box. She quickly glanced at the clock on one of her dad's file cabinet only to see it was 9:30! How had she wasted so much time and still no batteries for her calculator?! At that point, she decided finding batteries in Dad's office was impossible.

There were only a few photos that were not as pristine as the others. She studied the subjects of the first photo. They weren't people she recognized. They looked like they were wearing Halloween costumes. One was a boy who looked as though he was wearing green body paint, the other boy was African American and was wearing a robot costume, and then there was a girl who was dressed like... a witch, maybe? They were all sitting on a large sofa with the two boys smiling and the girl holding a book in her lap with a deadpan expression on her face. She flipped the the photo over and saw a message written in unfamiliar handwriting.

_"Congratulations on your wedding! Hope this is how you remember us!" _

It was a wedding present. Of all the photos this, was the one their friends gave them?

_Weird._

Set the photo aside and moved on to the last two.

The next one was of... Bruce Wayne? Gotham's multi-millionaire bachelor? Why did Dad have a photo of him. He was dressed in one of (she assumed, many) tuxedos. It was an older photo, so Wayne looked much younger than he did today. There was no note on the back of his photo so she moved to the last one in her hand. This one caught her attention.

The subjects were a boy and a girl. They were also sitting on the large sofa that the other three teens were on in the first photo. They were both smiling. His arm was around her shoulders and she was waving at the camera. The more she examined the picture she realized the boy wearing... Robin the Boy Wonder's uniform? But it looked pretty dated. It was bright green, red, with yellow accents, and a mask veiled his eyes.

She put the picture down for a moment, and laughed.

"Funny. The current Robin's uniform is just black and red." she said out loud as if trying reason with herself.

_Must be part of the Halloween party too. Kids in Gotham today even dress up as Robin for Halloween._

She moved her attention back to the photo. Wait... why did this boy look so familiar? She darted her eyes over to the girl. She was wearing an interesting two piece outfit. It was purple and was she wearing arm warmers? What was she supposed to be dressed as? She looked an awful lot like her mom.

_WAIT._

It _was_ her mom. Did that mean... she looked back at the boy. No...

_DAD?!_

She stood up quickly and dropped the photo. Her thoughts started racing. In that moment she the sudden realization that she had never seen photos of her parents when they were young. They didn't own any. Her mom was part of a closed adoption process so there were no records of her family, thus no family photos. And by the state of his office, her Dad clearly wasn't organized enough to keep track of old photos. The earliest photo she had ever seen of him was was hanging up in their living room when he started at the police department when he was probably in his mid-twenties. She turned her attention back to the discarded photo, hands shaking. She reached for it.

_It's just a Halloween costume. _

She grabbed it, turning it over quickly. There was a writing on the back of this one too, it looked like her mom's. It was her mom's.

_"Just imagine, one day this photo may contain three Graysons! Much Love, Star."_

The photo was also dated. _2006 _They were her age in this photo.

She felt the room start to shrink and her breathing started to grow shallow. All the things she was told at breakfast that morning... could they be... No, they can't be.

Mar'i couldn't be there anymore. Forget the batteries. Forget the photos. Forget it all. It wasn't true. She frantically rammed all the photos back in the box and slammed the drawer shut only to quickly reopen the drawer to grab the photo of her teenage parents.

What was she thinking? She was mature. She would simply show them the photo when they got home and ask them about it. There must be an explanation. She shoved it in her back pocket and was turning to leave, when she slipped on one of the numerous piles of paper on the floor in the office. She crashed face-first into the file cabinet where the small clock sat. It teetered and fell to the floor, the glass case around the clock face shattered.

Mar'i slowly tried to stand. She brought a hand to her temple and winced in pain. That was going to leave a nasty bruise. She then turned her attention to the clock and groaned.

_Great._ Now she had glass to clean up and needed to come up with an explanation for her Dad. She had just stood up to check herself for glass cuts when a bright light shot out from the broken clock face startling her and she was knocked off her feet again. The room felt like it was starting to spin. There was light everywhere. She started to feel nauseous and lightheaded.

_What was happening?_

She lost consciousness and then there was nothing. Nothing but black.


	5. Chapter 5

Mar'i found herself slowly coming to consciousness. A sharp pain burned in the side of her head from where she hit the file cabinet. It went all the way down to her neck when she moved. In fact, everything hurt. She slowly sat up and checked herself. All her limbs were still attached so that was a plus. She tried to stand, but she couldn't find the energy so she resigned herself to sit there until she could summon the strength.

Though she hadn't been awake very long, she had the strangest feeling she wasn't in her Dad's office and began to scan her surroundings. It was dark. There was a small window in the room so she could tell it was nighttime. There was also a terrible smell. She couldn't pinpoint the stench but it smelled musty. Maybe she was in a coma. Or a dream. If she was in a dream, it was an extremely visceral one.

She tried to stand again. To her surprise, her legs actually lent her support and she began to walk until she could find a wall to anchor herself. She began to walk searching for a door knob or at least a light switch. She felt something in the dark. A button. She pressed it and the entire wall she was leaning against quickly moved. It was a pocket door and she found herself on the floor again, letting out a painful "oof!" landing on her hands and knees. The door quickly closed behind her. She made a mental note to go to the doctor the next day to get checked when she looked up to see a pair of shoes in her face. Those shoes were attached to legs and those legs were attached to...

She screamed before she could process anything else and scrambled back to the door accidentally hitting the button causing it to open once more. Again, she was on the floor. This was her life now. She might as well stay down.

The green boy also screamed. A pretty high pitched scream at that. It was almost comical and she was a little less petrified now. He was just as surprised.

"Dude! Who are you?! And what were you doing in my room?!"

With all the adrenaline rushing through her, Mar'i didn't know how to respond. However, in the frenzy she was able to determine the green boy was the same one she saw in the picture in her dad's office. The green paint he was wearing, however, didn't look like paint. It looked like actual skin.

"Hey!" He snapped, jolting her back to the present moment. "I'm talking to you!"

Just then, another pocket door across the hallway quickly opened and a girl appeared. She glared at the green boy, clearly agitated by the noise. It was the witch girl in the photo.

_Yep, I'm in a coma._ Mari thought to herself.

"Beast Boy, do have any idea what time it is?!"

"I don't know, Raven, why don't ask _her_ what time it is? And why she's in my room!"

The girl, who Mar'i just learned was named Raven, cut her eyes to her and stared with the same expressionless stare that was in the photograph. She looked back to the green boy, whom she called Beast Boy. _Strange name _Mar'i thought to herself. Her brain couldn't come up with anything better?

"Who is this?"

"That's what I'm saying, Rae. I don't know! I was going bed and she fell out of my room!"

Mar'i watched the two go back and forth wondering if she should interrupt when she heard footsteps. She looked to her right and the robot boy, also from the photograph, came around a corner.

_Definitely in a coma._

"BB. Raven." The robot man addressed them. He also appeared bothered by the ruckus in the hallway, his one human eye was supported by a prominent dark circle. Though she determined these people were most likely projections of her imagination, Mar'i felt somewhat guilty for ruining their good night's sleep.

"It's 3:00 in the morning... I can't charge fully if you two are out here yelling all night!"

"Tell that to her!" Beast Boy protested, pointing to Mar'i.

The robot turned his attention to Mar'i. His one human eye also widened in surprise.

"Beast Boy, why is this girl in your room?"

"_I. don't. know. _What is this _Quiz Show_? I just finished playing Mega Monkeys and all I wanted to do was go to bed, but you guys are out here blaming me for all the noise when somebody else has broken into _my_ room!"

"It's a wonder she's alive. Your room reeks." Raven jabbed.

The three of them continued to argue and it seemed they almost forgot Mar'i was present. If she could just sneak away and find another door, maybe that would wake her up from this weird coma. She started to crawl away when she felt herself being picked up. She was in the air. Why was she in the air? She turned to look behind her to see the girl named Raven with her hand outstretched towards her as if she was the one controlling her. Her mind was really playing tricks on her now.

"Oh no, you don't." Raven sneered at her. "We need to talk to you."

Would it be weird if she talked to these projections? She would essentially be talking with herself. That's it! She might actually be able to talk herself out of this.

"Look," Mar'i began cautiously. "I don't want to be here. If you can put me down, I'll just let myself out so I can wake up from whatever weird dream this is."

Raven, Beast Boy, and the robot man looked at each other.

"You think you're in a dream?" the robot asked her. Raven lowered Mar'i to the floor slowly and released her.

"Well, technically, I'm in a coma. I hit my head and now I need to wake up. If you can show me a door," She gestured towards the hypothetical exit. "I'll just get out of your hair."

The three still seemed unconvinced.

"I hate to break it to you," Raven said. "But I don't think your dreaming. You're definitely in our house."

"And you were _definitely_ in my room! Why have we not addressed that?!" Beast Boy yelled.

"I'm sorry I was in your room." Mar'i apologized. "I just want to wake up. I haven't had the best weekend and I- ugh!"

Mar'i grabbed her head. Splitting pain surged and her vision suddenly felt blurry. Raven immediately ran to her side.

"You said you hit your head?"

Mar'i nodded through the discomfort trying to steady herself.

"Whether you're in a coma or not, it looks like you need some medical attention." She then addressed Beast Boy and the robot man whom they called Cyborg. "I'm going to take her to the medical bay. Can you guys do a sweep of the rest of the tower to make sure no one else is here? Also, go get Robin. He might want to meet our visitor too."

Mar'i, though still in pain, perked up.

_Robin? _

"Rob's on patrol, Rae." He pressed a small button on his shoulder and a small flashlight came out ready to search the tower.

"At 3am?!"

"You know he doesn't sleep!" Beast Boy laughed. "After that attack from Cinderblock at the dock last week, he's been going out at night for a couple hours to make sure all the people who are still up are safe."

"Fine. What about Star? Can you go wake her?"

"I think she went with Robin to keep him company." Beast Boy answered.

"Figures." Raven shook her head slightly frustrated. "Just give them a call for me."

"Copy that." Cyborg whipped out a small yellow device. "Alright, Beastie let's go."

"Ugh," Beast Boy groaned. "I just want to go to bed." He reluctantly turned into a Bloodhound and began to sniff the floor as he and Cyborg left.

Mar'i rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Her brain was working overtime and it made her head really hurt.

"Did he just turn into a dog?"

Raven took her by the elbow to steady her.

"Let's get you to the clinic, then we can have a conversation."

**4:00am, Medical Bay; Titans Tower**

Raven helped situate Mar'i on the examination table and checked her vitals. Normal temperature. Heart rate was on the high end, but it made sense after the events of that night.

"88/56" Raven removed the strap from the blood pressure machine from her arm. "Your blood pressure is low. Do you feel dizzy?"

Mar'i was only half listening to her. She needed to wake up. This Raven projection was obviously a nurse at Gotham Memorial and she needed to let her know she could hear her. Maybe if she yelled she could jolt her body awake.

"YES! I FEEL DIZZY" She yelled loudly. This only caused Raven to drop the machine, frustrating her. Mar'i was still in the clinic with a throbbing headache. It didn't work.

"Geez, that seemed unnecessary!" Raven said picking up the blood pressure machine. "And, don't do that! You do have a pretty nasty concussion." She put the medical supplies back in their respected places and walked back over to Mar'i and placed her hands on Mar'i's head.

"What are you doing?!" Mar'i tried to moved but her vision split. She saw double Ravens.

"Hold still!"

Mar'i felt a sudden warmth at the front of her head. She tried to fight it but she soon realized how soothing it felt. She relented and decided to let whatever was happening happen. Eventually, her vision started to clear and she only saw one Raven instead of two. The throbbing began to dissipate until it was almost non-existent. After a few minutes, Raven removed her hands from Mar'i's head.

"Still dizzy?"

Mar'i shook her head in surprise. In fact, she felt pretty good.

"You'll still need to take it easy. Don't over do it."

"Thank you." Mar'i was in disbelief. "How did you..."

"I have some abilities... but enough about me. We need to talk about why you were in Beast Boy's room."

"Thank you!" the changeling walked into the medical bay. "We're finally addressing the reason we're all gathered here tonight!"

Raven rolled her eyes and Cyborg followed in behind Beast Boy.

"Did you get ahold of our fearless leader?" Raven asked him.

"Yep," Cyborg replied "He and Star are heading back now."

"Perfect, now let's make sure this one can function." She turned back to Mar'i. "I'm going to ask you a few questions." Cyborg and Beast Boy both came and stood next to Raven.

"And no funny business!" Beast Boy threatened, although his voice cracked causing Cyborg to laugh.

"Will you two quit!" Raven snapped at them. "Okay, this is going to sound trivial, but how many fingers am I holding up? We need to make sure your vision is okay." She held up two fingers.

"Two." Mar'i answered. Maybe this was the gateway to breaking out of this sleep.

"How about now?" Raven switched to four fingers.

"Four."

"Okay," Raven put her hand down. "What color is his skin?" She pointed to Beast Boy.

"Uh... green?" Mar'i answered uncertainly. She wasn't sure if that was a trick question or not.

"Excellent." Raven moved on. "What's your name?"

"Mar'i"

"Okay, Mar'i. How old are you?"

"16."

"Date of birth?"

"November 3, 2016."

"Okay, what's- Wait." Raven stopped. Cyborg and Beast Boy also looked baffled.

"What was that year again?" Cyborg asked raising his one eyebrow.

"Uh... 2016 the year of our Lord. Why?"

The three looked at each other then back to Mar'i.

"You must have really hit your head, girl." Beast Boy laughed. "Are you sure you don't mean 1996?"

"That would make her 10 years old!" Cyborg said. "Can you even do math?"

"Mar'i," Raven said ignoring the banter. "What year do you think it is?" The other two stopped laughing and waited for her answer. She didn't know why they looked so concerned.

"It's 2032."

Cyborg rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort. Beast Boy gritted his teeth not sure what to say. Raven ultimately assumed she was to be the bearer of bad news.

"Not quite. It's 2006."

Mar'i let out a laugh.

"Okay, now I'm impressed."

"At what?" Raven retorted.

"My brain is amazing!" Mar'i leapt off the table. "I constructed all of this!" she pointed behind her. "However, while this has been fun, I would really need to get going. My parents are probably home from the gala by now and found me in the office. I need them to know I'm fine."

Bewilderment spread across Cyborg and Beast Boy's face and Raven started to get heated.

"Where exactly do you think you are, Mar'i?"

"I'm in a coma! I'm at Gotham Memorial _in. a. coma_. I told you this already."

Raven rubbed the bridge of her nose and gestured to Cyborg to take over the conversation.

"You're not in Gotham City, little lady. You're definitely not in a coma. You're in Jump City inside our house. It's 2006."

"That's not possible." Mar'i protested again.

"Okay," Beast Boy interjected. "What's the last thing you remember then? We still haven't told us why you're here and were in my room."

Mar'i let out a groan. She was even stubborn in her subconscious.

"Fine." She hastily recapped the the last 7 hours. "I was working on Chemistry homework and the batteries in my calculator died. I went in my dad's office to find some but instead, I found-" she reached in her back pocket and whipped out the photo and held it up. "This photograph of my parents that I've never seen before. In fact, I don't even know who they are anymore! Oh, and I also found a picture of you all! That's why you're in my brain, because I saw before I slipped on a stack of paper and fell. I hit the file cabinet, my dad's clock broke, and then... the room was spinning, there was light, yada, yada, yada, thus, I am now sedated at Gotham Memorial Hospital in a coma talking to you fine people who are projections of my subconscious." She crossed her arms, pleased with her defense.

Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy all looked shellshocked.

"You said there was a clock?" Cyborg asked as if he was treading carefully.

"Yes, I broke it when I fell." Mar'i was astounded.

"What kind of clock was it?" Raven asked quizzically.

"Why does that matter?"

"Girl, just tell us about the clock!" Beast Boy screamed, arms flailing.

"Fine! Alright! It was small. Glass case. Brass, maybe? He's had it for years"

"That's not just a clock! AND YOU BROKE IT?!" Cyborg yelled. He brought his hands to his head and started to pace around the room in obvious panic.

"Wait," Raven held up her hand to stop all the commotion. "Why would your Dad have have _that_ clock in his office?"

Mar'i shrugged. Why couldn't they just let go of the clock already?

"I don't know? It's an antique or something."

Raven, quickly cut her eyes to the photo in Mar'i's hand and snatched it away from her. She studied it and her eyes grew wide and panic spread across her stoic face. "Guys... you need to look at this."

Beast Boy and Cyborg walked over and the three were huddled around the photo. Both their mouths fell open and gaped at the small piece of film.

"You said _these_ are your parents?" Cyborg pointed to the photo.

"Why does it matter-"

"Answer the question, Mar'i!" After fighting to maintain her emotions all night, Raven finally had enough. "Are these your parents or not?"

"Yes! Yes, they're my parents. Geez..."

"Oh boy..." Beast Boy said. "It's a girl, ya'll!"

"This isn't funny." Raven snapped. "We have to get her back."

"Thank you!" Mar'i was relieved. Maybe now she could wake up from this wacky nightmare.

"No, you don't understand." Raven abruptly handed the photo back to her and put both of her hands on Mar'i's shoulders. "You're not in a coma. You're not asleep. You time travelled. You travelled to 2006 and we may not have a way to get you home."

That was it. She was getting herself out of this. She closed her eyes and opened them again straining to wake.

"That's not going to work!" Raven's hand were still firmly on her shoulders griping them a little tighter. "You aren't asleep! You're in 2006. And if we don't find a way to get you home you may not exist."

Mar'i was starting not to like this Raven, but before she could argue back, the doors to the medical bay slid open.

"Titans," a young boy with a sleek mask followed by a slender female friend with bright red hair and the greenest eyes she had ever seen behind him. "What's going on here? Where's our visitor?"

Everyone froze and gave Mar'i a side glance to make sure she was okay. Mar'i inspected the two new people and she lightly gripped the photo in her right hand. Her parents. Her _teenage_ parents. Without taking her eyes off of them she discretely put the photo in her hand in her back pocket. Maybe they were projections too, but they sure looked real to her. Raven slowly let go of Mar'i's shoulders and gestured to her.

"She hit her head in Beast Boy's room. Has amnesia. I ran her vitals and healed a concussion but everything looks good now. The only thing she knows is her name, Mar'i."

_Wait? Was Raven covering for her?_

Raven shot a scowl to Cyborg and Beast Boy at which they quickly backed up her story.

"Yep, doesn't remember a thing!" Cyborg agreed, with a slight nervousness in his voice. Robin raised and eyebrow and walked over to Mar'i and Raven. He held out his hand to shook Mar'i's hand.

"Hi, Mar'i. I'm Robin. This is Starfire." he gestured to the friend behind him and she waved. "I see you met the rest of the team. Obviously we weren't here, but it looks as if you had a pretty long night."

She continued to shake his hand in silence. It felt warm. Familiar. It felt completely real. She felt her palms starting to sweat. He released her hand and Starfire, gracefully floated over to them and took Mar'i's hand in hers. _Did she just fly? _

"I am most delighted to meet you and am also glad Raven was able to heal you mostly. Maybe tomorrow, you would do me and Robin the honor of the filling in of who you are?"

She felt real too. Why was she talking so... politely? She started to feel her throat close up.

"I think you mean, filling us in, Star." Robin corrected her.

"Oh..."

Mar'i backed away from Starfire and Robin as if she had seen a ghost. This was too weird.

"I... I can't breath." Mar'i brought her hands to her chest and ran into a medical cart.

"What's happening to her?" Robin asked in alarm.

"She's having a panic attack." Raven calmly but urgently guided Mar'i to the examiner table. "I think you and Star should go. She's had a lot of activity tonight. We'll do a debrief in a few hours after we've all gotten some sleep."

"But, Raven, be want to be of service to you and to Mar'i." Starfire offered.

"I appreciate that Star," Raven said as she tried to help Mar'i regulate her breathing. "But I think the best thing you can do is give her some space."

Robin and Starfire though concerned, conceded with Raven's request and left the medical bay. Cyborg and Beast Boy turned to leave by Raven pulled them back with her energy.

"Nope, the four of us need to have a talk."

Mar'i found herself hyperventilating, She wasn't in a coma or even a dream for that matter. They were real. This moment was real. Everything she was told at breakfast was real.


	6. Chapter 6

After Raven was able to calm Mar'i down, she quietly ushered her, Cyborg, and Beast Boy into her bedroom. Mar'i tried not to be alarmed by all the cultish memorabilia in Raven's room, but the truth was, she was terrified. Everything was starting to frighten her. She was in the past and according to Raven, with no way home.

"Geez, Rae, do we have to meet in your room? So creepy..." Beast Boy shuddered.

"At least it smells better than your room. Besides, Robin and Starfire know better than to come into my room uninvited. This is the best place for us to talk."

"Why do we need to be so secretive?" Beast Boy questioned. "I mean, I know this is serious, but why can't we just tell them what's going on?"

"Because," Cyborg began. "If we tell Robin and Starfire their 16-year-old daughter came to the past to pay them a visit, there's a possibility it could disrupt their futures, and not for the better."

"Yeah, but Star went to the future and things turned out fine for us!" Beast Boy countered. "She told us everything. I ain't letting myself go!"

"She went forward in time. Not backwards." Raven clarified. "She was able to warn us. If we disclose who Mar'i is, this could go one of two ways: Robin and Starfire either marry and have this little bundle of joy, or we tell them, they get awkward about it, and the future never comes to pass. We can't risk Mar'i's existence."

"Why did you have to break the clock?" Cyborg pleaded to Mar'i.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Mar'i was so over this clock. "Why is the clock so important to you anyway?"

"That clock is what brought you here!" Cyborg explained. "A few years ago, we battled this guy named Warp. He used that clock to to travel to our time and steal ancient artifacts. It's essentially a time machine. Starfire went with him to the future and was able to take it back from him."

"Yeah, and Robin lost his marbles." Beast Boy recalled. "She was only gone for 30 seconds!"

"Hold up." Mar'i stopped them. "You _battled_ a guy? So, you're like, vigilantes? Like, Batman?

"We don't do the solo thing." Beast Boy explained. "We all tried it. Didn't work out. We're much better as a team."

"So, you're like Young Justice?"

"Who?"

"Since then," Raven brought the conversation back to the topic at hand. "Robin took the clock after that night and we have no idea where it is. He has it under lock and key somewhere and he won't disclose it's location. If you had brought your clock with you, we could have easily sent you back to Gotham before Robin and Starfire made it back to the tower."

"That's why the clock is so important." Cyborg concluded. "It's our key to getting you home."

Mar'i was starting to feel overwhelmed and she had so many questions.

Raven sat down next to her on the bed.

"Listen, we'll figure something out, but until then, you're stuck here. You're going to have to play dumb. If either of them catches an inkling of who you actually are, it could be bad."

"No pressure." Beast Boy joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Mar'i groaned and threw herself on Raven's bed when there was a knock on the door.

_"Friend, Raven it is I, Starfire!"_

"Shoot!" Raven exclaimed in a whisper. "I should have known she would have come looking for you."

Mar'i started to panic again. After learning the gravity of the situation, she couldn't see Starfire now. What if she screwed everything up?

"Maybe you could just hide me?" Mar'i suggested, frantically. "Until we figure out how I can go home."

"That won't work." Cyborg shook his head. "We don't know how long this will take and they'll get suspicious that you disappeared so fast, especially Robin."

Raven grabbed Mar'i's face as if to ground her. "I know you're freaked out, but you're going to have to interact with them."

Starfire's knocking persisted.

_"Raven! Please, I have come to check on you and Mar'i. Is everything alright?"_

"Okay, I'm going to open the door and, you idiots-" Raven turned to Cyborg and Beast Boy. "Get in my closet."

"Ew, no!" Beast Boy said in a whisper of a scream. "We've been in your mirror! There's no way I'm going in your closet!"

_"Raven!"_

"If she see's you here, she going to start questioning us."

"C'mon Beastie I'll protect ya from the monsters." Cyborg reluctantly grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the closet and shut the door.

Raven took a deep breath, walked to the door, and opened it. Starfire was there, and to Raven's surprise, so was Robin.

_Oh crap. _

"Hey, Raven," Robin began. "I know we needed to give you all some space earlier, but we wanted to make sure everything was okay now. Everyone calmed down?" He glanced behind Raven looking at Mar'i who was still sitting on Raven's bed looking like a deer in headlights.

"Yes, I think we're all good now. Just really in need of some sleep." Raven answered, calmly. Mar'i was impressed at how well Raven could hold it together under pressure.

"That is wonderful news!" Starfire exclaimed. "Please, I discussed with Robin about possibly allowing Mar'i to use Terra's old room for slumber tonight. Might we be able to escort her there?"

Raven was silent for a minute and glanced back at Mar'i who hadn't moved an inch. She turned back to Robin and Starfire.

"You know, I think that's a good idea."

Mar'i's stomach dropped. Why Raven just hand her off like a lamb to the slaughter?!

"Let me have a moment with her." Raven forced a smile and quickly shut the door leaving Robin and Starfire slightly stunned.

Mar'i stood up in frustration.

"What are you doing?"

"Unfortunately, I can't babysit you 24/7. And I need sleep. You need sleep. All they're going to do is walk you your room. You don't have to say anything. If they ask you something don't panic. You "have amnesia" remember. We can chat in the morning."

Mar'i didn't like this plan, but she figured she had no choice.

"Okay, but if I cease to exist. I'm blaming you." She pointed her finger at Raven. Raven frowned then quickly led her to the door.

"All yours." She handed Mar'i over to them and slammed the door behind her. At that moment, Cyborg and Beast Boy stumbled out of the closet trying to catch their breath. Cyborg glared at her.

"Never make us go in there again."

**5:00am Hallway; Titans Tower**

The walk to the bedroom felt like a death sentence. Robin walked to her left and Starfire to her right and Mar'i could feel her heart pounding in her ears. _Don't screw up. Don't screw up. Be cool. _

"So, Mar'i," Robin began. "Where are you from?"

_Play dumb! Play dumb!_

"Uh, I... can't remember. Amnesia, am I right?" She laughed nervously and gave him a slight jab with her elbow. _Oh gosh she was an idiot. _Robin only raised an eyebrow but was otherwise unfazed.

"I have never had the amnesia." Starfire chimed in sweetly. "What does it feel like?" she stared at Mar'i expecting her to answer.

_What kind of question was that?_

"I guess... I don't know. It feels confusing? Yes, that's it. No memories and whatnot." Mar'i spit out.

"I see," Starfire processed the information. "That is quite fascinating. Tamaranians have exceptional long-term memory."

Mar'i felt a lump come to her throat. _Tamaranians. _Her mom wasn't joking. Before she knew it: word vomit.

"So you're from Tamaran?" the words flew out of Mar'i mouth. _Why did she just ask her that?_

Robin and Starfire both stopped walking and turned to look at her. Starfire smiled, elated.

"You have heard of my home?!"

"Uh..." Mar'i hated herself. "Yeah, I read about it." _Real convincing, Mari._

_"_Oh in what piece of literature? I would love to read it for myself. I tend to get the sick feeling for home and Robin has also asked me for resources about my culture, but I have yet to find anything on Earth."

How was she going to get herself out of this? Oh, that's right. Amnesia.

"Sorry, I honestly can't remember." Mar'i apologized pointing to her head.

"That's right." Starfire understood. "Well, if you are able to recall it, please inform me!"

Robin smiled and gestured them to keep walking.

"We're almost there, I promise."

When they reached the room, Robin pressed the button and the sliding door opened. They walked her inside to reveal a large king sized bed as well as a closet and even a small bathroom. She looked on the bed and there was a set of sweatpants and a comfy t-shirt for her to change into. Starfire handed them to her.

"You may change into these to sleep. If you wish to wash your current ensemble, you can place them outside your door and before you to to bed and I will tend to them" She smiled, genuinely wanting to assist.

_You really are my mom. _Mar'i thought as she took the clothes. "Thank you."

Robin also stepped forward and handed her a small device. It was yellow with a bold letter "T" on the front and Mar'i realized she had seen Cyborg carrying one earlier. It looked like a small circular flip phone. Much more dated compared to her iPhone.

"This is a communicator." Robin explained. "We typically only give these to other vigilantes in our network, but this is a special case. You can use this to reach us at anytime."

"Do not hesitate." Starfire added.

Mar'i couldn't get past how strange, yet comforting the moment was. Her parents were still parenting her whether they realized it or not. She thanked them and they left closing the door behind them. She took the picture of her parents out of her back pocket placed it under her pillow for the time being. After changing into the comfy clothes she placed her jeans and t-shirt outside her door as Starfire suggested and made her way over to the bed sinking down into the mattress. Her thoughts raced but soon sleep started to overcome her. She didn't know who Terra was, but silently thanked her for letting her used her room.


	7. Chapter 7

**1:00 am; Two hours before Mari's arrival; Jump City Pier; 2006**

Starfire was elated Robin asked her to join him during patrol. Unlike the rest of the Titans, she required little sleep in comparison and being on the boardwalk was much more interesting than lying awake in bed. They both dismounted the R-Cycle after parking it at the edge of the pier and walked the boardwalk in silence, scanning their surroundings. There were very few people out that early in the morning, mostly couples looking for a moment alone. Even Robin assumed there wouldn't be much activity but after the attack last week, he said they couldn't be too careful. Starfire found herself distracted by one couple who was leading on the rails of the boardwalk. The boy put his hand around the girl's waist pulling her close and Starfire looked away worried that she had interrupted a private moment.

"Don't worry," Robin interrupted her thoughts. "I don't think they noticed." he smiled.

They continued walking until Robin suggested they head down to the beach to scout the area. After descending the steps that lead down to the beach, he went to the other side to observe the area, and Starfire decided to stay close to the boardwalk. The beach itself was essentially as empty as the boardwalk except for a few people swimming. She noted swimming was probably illegal that early in the morning, but it was not her place to enforce the rule. No major crime was taking place, so she sat down and ran her fingers through the sand. Tamaran did not have beaches as Earth did and she loved how fine and soft grains felt between her fingers. It was something that would never grow old for her. She looked over to see Robin making his way back toward her. He sat down beside her and pulled out his communicator to check the time. He quickly closed it and put it back in his pocket.

"Just another hour or so, then we can head back to the Tower."

"Wonderful," she replied bringing her knees to her chest. She was thankful to enjoy the peacefulness for a bit longer. Robin also made himself comfortable leaning back on his hands to admire the water as Starfire continued to watch the people swim. The swimmers were probably in their 20s and they seemed to not have a care for the fact that the city in which they lived was never completely safe. Instead, they were splashing one another and enjoying the coolness of the water. She wondered if she and her friends could ever be that care-free.

"Robin, do you think we will ever live normal lives?"

He seemed taken aback by her question and sat up to look at her.

"What do you mean? 'Tamaranian normal' and 'human normal' are completely different things."

Starfire couldn't help but smile.

"I suppose, do you think we will ever live a life where we are not… heroes? Just people who are... normal."

He looked out to the water and also watched the 20-somethings. He knew he wouldn't be this young forever, but he couldn't imagine another life than the one he was living now.

"Maybe." He answered. "It's hard to say. This is the life I've always known, Star. Even if I chose a civilian life, I'm not sure I could just sit idly by while there is evil in the world."

"Of course," Starfire answered smiling at him. "I would never expect you to do such a thing." She then shifted uneasily. "But Robin, do you think I could ever adjust to civilian life?"

"I think so," he answered looking at her. "You eat with a fork now." He smiled giving her a light jab with his elbow. She also laughed but quickly stopped, her face fell slightly.

"I am serious, Robin. I think I would need to make many more changes." Starfire sighed. "If the Titans were ever to no longer be… I wonder if it might be best if I were to return to Tamaran."

Robin sat up straight with slight panic in his face, alarming Starfire.

"Robin, what is the matter?!"

"You can't go back," Robin said, his voice cracking slightly. "You- you know this is your home. Just because you're not human doesn't mean you aren't welcome."

"Well, yes, but-"

"I'd be more than happy to help you adjust- that is, if the Titans part ways in the future."

Starfire felt her stomach flutter with flattery, but mostly anxiety. Ultimately, she didn't want the Titans to move apart. She had been to the future and saw that reality, but her friends assured her that the outcome had changed even if they did not remain an official team. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Yet, as they all began to grow older she knew they too would soon become 20-somethings and she still didn't want to lose touch with any of them.

"If the Titans were to part," she began. "Will you promise me that we will remain friends? You and I that is?" She turned to face him and Robin looked at her too.

"Of course. I don't know why you would be worried about that."

"Well, what if you were to leave the city? How would I be able to locate you?"

"Star, we could still keep our communicators."

"Well, what if my communicator dies from old age and I am unable to repair it?!"

"Then, you can look me up in the phone book!"

"Phooone book?" She sounded out.

"It's a book with numbers that allows you to call people." He explained. "Or you could just find me online. Google. There's this new thing called Facebook now. You won't lose contact with me." He took her hand in his. "We won't lose touch. I promise."

Starfire sat back and sighed, somewhat relieved. He was right. She was overreacting. She released her hand from his and leaned back on her palms.

"Well, you _will_ have to assist me with many things If I am to remain on earth."

"Like what?" he asked somewhat playfully, raising an eyebrow.

"I will need to learn how to operate a vehicle. Not a spacecraft -I've flown many of those- but an automobile. Also how to open a bank account? Is that what you call it?"

"That is what we call it." Robin laughed.

"I also hear many people complain about taxes. They sound difficult. I shall require aid for those."

"Naturally." Robin agreed.

"And another thing," Starfire continued as she absentmindedly watched the people in the water. "I will need further assistance with my English. I still find I get the tied tongue with many phrases and certain words are still a challenge. I need to be able to speak as clearly as you do. Will you help me to practice?"

Robin's face stiffened slightly. He looked away and he cleared his throat uncomfortably. Starfire didn't understand why he seemed so awkward until she realized what she. She burned hot with embarrassment. As any Tamaranian would, Starfire had kissed Robin to initially learn English. It was quick. Just enough to pick up the basics of the language. Soon after settling on Earth, she learned the human meaning of a kiss after watching a romantic comedy with Beast Boy and Cyborg. She and Robin had never actually discussed the moment or even alluded to it. Of course, at that moment, she wasn't thinking about lip contact to better her English. She wanted to apologize and explain herself but Robin's communicator buzzed. He grabbed it from his pocket and flipped it open.

"Cyborg?! Why are you up right now?"

"_Beast Boy had a girl in his room._"

"Wait, what?" Robin blinked.

"_Not like that!_" They heard Beast Boy protest over the feed

"Well, what was it like?" Robin asked vying for answers.

"_In all seriousness," Cyborg hoped back on "Beast Boy was heading to bed and found a girl in his room. Don't know how she got there. She's in the clinic with Raven right now getting some treatment. B and I are searching the rest of the Tower to make sure there wasn't a security breach. _

Robin did his best to try and process the information Cyborg just gave him. As weird as it all sounded he reasoned stranger thing had happened in the tower.

"Okay, how old is she?"

_She's probably about our age. Black hair, green eyes, I'm guessing about 115lbs. About 5"5? Anyway, she's kinda squirrely. In fact, she kinda reminds me of you when you were on that Slade dust!_"

"_HA! Slade dust..._" Beast Boy laughed in the background.

Robin rolled his eyes under his mask.

"_Anyway,_" Cyborg continued. "_Thought you might want to know_."

"We're on our way." Robin closed his communicator and stood up to leave. Starfire followed suit but was feeling uneasy at where they left the conversation.

"Robin, I-"

"I'll take the R-Cycle home. Do you mind flying?" Might be good to have someone in the air and on the ground."

She felt strange. Something about his words stung but she didn't know why. Nonetheless, she agreed to his request and took to the sky.

**4:30 am, Back at Titans Tower 2006**

Robin parked the R-Cycle in the garage and hung his helmet on the handlebar. He felt somewhat guilty for asking Starfire to fly home, but needed a moment alone. He knew he didn't leave the conversation with her on the best note. Everything was fine until she brought up learning English and needing to "practice." He didn't mean to, but he froze. She had caught him off guard. On the ride home, he ultimately reasoned with himself that she didn't mean practice by kissing. Not that he would mind, but he could never tell her that. And what was all this talk about her going back to Tamaran? He didn't like the thought of that either.

Now and then he would think back to the kiss she gave him during their first meeting. It was abrupt, merely a tool to transfer the necessary knowledge she needed to function on Earth, nothing more. He silently kicked himself for how stupid he was on the beach as he made his way to the garage elevator. He got off the elevator outside the medical clinic where Starfire was waiting for him. She seemed awkward, not looking at him. He knew it was a combination of him shutting down on her and poor timing by way of Cyborg's call. He walked over to her and pushed his emotions down. They had business to tend to.

"See anything suspicious on your way back?"

"I did not."

"Me either."

Robin took a deep breath as if he were trying to refocus both of them on the issue at hand. Turning toward the door he punched in the combination on the clinic keypad and the doors slid open.

"Let's go meet our house guest, shall well?"

The doors slid open and Robin wasn't exactly sure what he was witnessing. Cyborg was pacing around the room with his hands on his head. Beast Boy was cringing and Raven had her back turned to them. Robin could see she was talking very intently to whomever the un-welcomed guest was. He glanced back at Starfire to see if she could make sense of the situation, but she looked just as perplexed.

_Okay, time to break this party up._

"Titans," he addressed them. "What's going on here? Where's our visitor?"

The three remaining Titans all froze as if caught in the act of a crime themselves. He noticed Cyborg and Beast Boy shift their eyes to look at the girl Raven was holding by the shoulders. Raven herself slowly let go of her and turned to face Robin and he was finally able to catch a glimpse of their early morning intruder. She was much like Cyborg described. Black hair, slender build, sporting a red t-shirt and dark wash denim jeans. Her eyes are what struck him the most. They were almost as green as Starfire's. She met eyes with him and froze. She looked stunned, almost frightened.

"She hit her head in Beast Boy's room." Raven addressed Robin. "Has amnesia. I ran her vitals and healed a concussion, but everything looks good now. The only thing she knows is her name. Mar'i."

_Mary. _Robin made a mental note. Easy to remember.

"Yep, doesn't remember a thing!" Cyborg reiterated as Beast Boy nodded profusely next to him.

_They need some sleep. _Robin thought as he walked towards Mar'i to greet her. He took her hand and shook it.

"Hi, Mar'i. I'm Robin. This is Starfire." He turned to see Starfire hadn't followed him to greet her. She simply smiled and waved. He turned back to Mar'i. He wasn't sure of all that took place that evening, but she had to be exhausted. "I see you met the rest of the team. We obviously weren't here, but it looks like you had a pretty long night."

Mar'i said nothing, but instead looked at his hand then looked behind him as if distracted. He then felt Starfire land softly by his side. She took Mar'i's hand also greeting her.

"I am most delighted to meet you and am also glad Raven was able to heal you mostly. Maybe tomorrow, you could do me and Robin the honor of the filling in of who you are?"

Mar'i again didn't answer, but instead looked more dazed and confused. Robin assumed it was from Starfire's language barrier. She did still need a little help.

"I think you mean, filling us in, Star." Robin corrected her as gently as he could.

Starfire looked at him, not quite hurt, but she seemed off.

"Oh..."

Suddenly he heard a crash and he noticed Mar'i had backed into a medical cart. She was gasping for air.

"What's wrong with her?" He asked Raven.

"She's having a panic attack." Raven was already at her side helping her to breathe normally. "I think you and Star should go. She's had a lot of activity tonight. We'll do a debrief in a few hours after we've all gotten some sleep."

Starfire was quick to counter Raven's request. Maybe he was reading too much into things, but was Star trying to get away from him?

"But Raven, we want to be of service to you and to Mar'i."

"I appreciate that, Star, but I think the best thing you can do is give her some space."

Robin knew it best to leave Raven to it. Starfire also seemed to get the same message as they both turned to leave. As the doors shut behind them, Starfire quickly turned to Robin before he could say anything to her about their night on the beach.

"Might it be possible for Mar'i to stay in Terra's old room? It could be a nice refuge after the evening she has endured."

He pondered her suggestion.

"I mean, I don't see why not." He replied. "What about Beast Boy? Do you think he would mind?

Starfire was thoughtful.

"I think he would say that Terra would want it to be used to help others."

Robin agreed on one condition.

"We'll take her there. I don't want her walking around the Tower alone. We know nothing about her so who's to say we can trust her."

Starfire silently nodded in agreement.

"Shall we give her some time to "chill out" as you say?"

"Yes, we'll let her calm down and then we'll show her the room. But Starfire, about earlier-"

"Robin, I misspoke. I did not mean to- That is- when I was talking about practice. I-"

He took her hands in his, stopping her.

"I know. It's okay." He forced a smile and she seemed to accept it. The conversation wasn't completely resolved, but it seemed they could continue somewhat normally. She pulled her hands away from him as if not wanting to hang on too long.

"I will be in the common room. You may contact me when you want to take her to her room." She turned and walked away leaving Robin to wonder if things would ever, in fact, feel normal again.


	8. Chapter 8

_Hello readers! Thank you for your patience with Chapter 8. I felt I had posted it a bit prematurely and decided to take it down to make a few tonal tweaks. Thank you for your encouraging words and critiques. I hope you continue to enjoy this little story!_

* * *

**9:00 am that morning, Terra's Room; Titans Tower 2006**

Mar'i woke a few hours later. She examined the room, hoping that everything last night was, in fact, just a dream. To her dismay, it was not. She lay in the bed and looked at the ceiling. It was 2006. She was stuck 26 years in the past. She met her teenage parents and their eccentric friends whom she was depending on to get her back to 2032. And to make matters worse, she couldn't tell her teenage parents who she was because there was the chance she might disappear forever in her time. Also, her parents were vigilantes and her dad lead them as a team? It all made her head spin. She turned over groggily hoping to sleep the anxiety away but was distracted from her present misery by pounding on the bedroom door.

"_Mar'i! Mar'i! Open the door_!" It was Beast Boy knocking frantically.

"_Just go in_!" she heard Raven say.

"Y_ou can't just walk in a girl's room_!" Cyborg was there too. "_What if she's indecent?!_"

"_You both have "just walked" into my room before without any care for my decency."_

_"We have more things to worry about in your room than that!"_

_"Mar'i!"_

She groaned, stumbled out of bed in a drunken stupor, and hobbled over to the door. She pressed the button to open the door and the three friends rushed inside. They just as quickly shut the door behind them.

"Rise and shine, girl!" Cyborg scrooped a spoonful of scrambled eggs from a plate in his hand and shoved them in her mouth. "You gotta be on your feet today!"

"Wuh?" she answered with her mouth full. She forced down the food and rubbed her eyes to wake.

"Robin's going to have to run a report on you." Raven explained, seizing the breakfast plate from Cyborg's and handing it to Mar'i. "Whenever we capture a villain or if anything strange happens, like what took place last night, he documents it for his case files. Just in case we need it for future reference."

"The man is personally destroying the rainforest with all the folders in his room." Beast Boy crossed his arms.

Maybe it was because she wasn't fully awake yet, but Mar'i didn't see why they were so worked up. If this were to happen last night, maybe she would have been more on edge. If anything, this made sense why her Dad's office back home was a complete rats nest. She took another bite of the eggs on her plate.

"So, why is this such a big deal?"

"Because he's going to have to question you. He's going to do everything in his power to "jog your memory" Cyborg made air quotes. "He wants to help, but the man's a master interrogator. We need to make sure you'll be okay."

"Bottom line is: You can't crack," Raven warned, pointing her finger at her. "Whatever he asks you, you can't disclose who you are."

Mar'i was offended. It was like Raven was forgetting this was _her life_ at stake. She may not know how to handle Robin, but she did know Dick Grayson.

"I would like to still exist by the end of this whole ordeal," Mar'i retorted. "I think can handle it."

"You better." Raven reiterated, harshly. "Anyway, the three of us are going to discuss how to get the clock. It won't be easy, so don't expect a miracle today."

"Wasn't planning on it." Mar'i took another bite of her eggs. Raven narrowed her eyes at Mar'i in response then hastily turned and left the room. Once the door closed behind her, Mar'i scoffed.

"What's her deal?!"I don't want to be here! It's like she thinks I wanted this!"

"Ah, don't take her too personally." Cyborg took the empty plate from her. "She's just worried. She comes off cold, but she cares. She wants to get you home safely."

"Yeah," Beast Boy added "Raven's a big-ole' softie under that cape of hers. Don't let her get to you."

Mar'i found that hard to believe.

"You should get dressed." Cyborg changed the subject. He opened the door and grabbed Mar'i's folded, clean clothes in the hallway. "Robin will probably want to talk to you after his morning workout. We'll be outside when you're done. He doesn't want you walking the Tower alone." He handed her the clothes and he and Beast Boy left the room.

_Great._ She thought. _Not only was I grounded at home, but now I have chaperones while I'm here._

Mar'i changed into her clothes and found a brush in one of the drawers in the bathroom. She ran it through her hair just enough to get any major tangles out then met Cyborg and Beast Boy outside her door. They escorted her through the hallways until they eventually reached what looked like a large living room and the kitchen was off to the side. It was impressive, to say the least. She noticed the large sofa in the middle of the room. It was the same one from the picture. _Oh crap. The picture._ It was still under her pillow in the room.

"Cyborg, I need to go back to my room." she was panicking.

"What's wrong?" He asked, putting her breakfast plate in the dishwasher.

"I- the picture. I put it under my pillow." she lowered her voice into a whisper.

Cyborg's one eye widened. "Okay, I'll walk you back."

"No, I can get it myself. I'll be quick!" she darted for the door.

"Mar'i, wait!" Beast Boy yelled after her, but it was too late. She was already sprinting down the halls. This tower was a maze. After getting turned around several times, she finally found the door to her room. It was open and Starfire was stripping the sheets off the bed. _Shoot. _The pillows were on the floor and she caught a glimpse of the photo half-hidden under one of them. Starfire turned around sensing someone was there and smiled.

"Good morning, new friend! I trust you slept well?"

Mar'i attempted to hide the panic in her voice.

"Yeah, great. I uh- what are you doing?"

"Oh, I figured I would wash your sheet so you will have clean linens for this evening."

Ugh. Even as a teenager, why did Kori Grayson have to be such _a mom_?! Mar'i had to get her out of her room.

"I only slept on them once. I'm sure they're fine!"

"Oh, I insist!" Starfire ripped the fitted sheet off the mattress. "It has been a while since anyone has slept in this bed. Please, I would feel much better if they were cleaned." She tossed the fitted sheet aside and started to reach for the pillows on the floor.

"No!" Mar'i dove tackling Starfire to the ground. Starfire to let out an "Eeek!" and the two struggled. Mar'i attempted to kick the photo under the bed to no avail.

"What are you doing?!"

"I saw a bed bug!" _Good one, Mar'i. _Who was she kidding? She didn't even know what a bed bug looked like. At this point, she had pinned Starfire to the floor. "I don't want it to bite you!" She was pulling stuff out of her butt now. Starfire though shell-shocked seemed to buy her lie.

"All the more reason to wash your bedding!" Starfire protested, and to Mar'i's surprise, easily pushed her off of her by rolling over, setting herself free. Mar'i wasn't about to give up. She had to hide that photo. As Starfire started to stand, Mar'i grabbed her by the knees causing them to buckle, pulling her back down into the kerfuffle.

"Please, if you would allow me to wash your pillowcases!"

"Don't touch them!"

After several failed attempts, Mar'i was finally able to kick the photo under the bed. She had rolled back on top of Starfire when she felt someone picking her up. Soon, she was on her feet with her arm pinned behind her, unable to move. It was Robin.

_Dang it._

"So, you want to tell me why you're wrestling my teammate?" She squirmed to break from his hold, but he held her firm. "I'm not sure that's the appropriate response towards someone trying to wash your sheets." He released Mar'i from his hold and helped Starfire up. "Star, are you-"

"I am fine, Robin." she dusted off her skirt. "Her technique is poor. Thank you for your concern." She grabbed the pillows, stripping them of their cases. Robin looked as if he wanted to say something but instead kept his mouth shut as she gathered all the linens.

In the short exchange between them, Mar'i noticed Starfire never once looked directly at Robin The exchange made her feel strange. She didn't like it. Starfire cleared her throat and then turned back to Mar'i.

"Thank you for your assistance in identifying the bed bugs." She left the room frazzled as Cyborg and Beast Boy entered.

"What happened to her?" Beast Boy pointed back to Starfire.

"The real question is," Robin began. "Why did I find Mar'i and Starfire on the floor grappling?" he then snapped his head back to Mar'i. "And was that about bed bugs?!"

"What?!" Cyborg turned to Mar'i. "You were fighting with her?!"

"Well..." she answered, weakly.

"You know what," Robin rubbed his forehead, annoyed. "I don't even care. Cyborg, can you bring Mar'i to the East Wing in about 30 minutes?"

Cyborg said he would and Robin swiftly exited the room muttering to himself.

After Mar'i made sure Robin was out of earshot, she scrambled under the bed and grabbed the photo. She shoved it in her back pocket and breathed a sigh of relief. Cyborg and Beast Boy who were both leaning on both sides of the door frame, arms crossed.

"Dude, what the heck?!" Beast Boy asked, flailing his arms. "You can't be fighting with Starfire! She looks like a cheerleader, but she'll snap you in two! Trust me, I know...

"For real," Cyborg agreed. "And are you trying to make Robin's more suspicious of you?! Because if you are, I think it's working."

"What was I supposed to do?!" Mar'i objected. "I couldn't let her get that photo!"

"We get that," Cyborg said a little more gently. "But, you gotta stop being so jumpy around them. Just... be cool. Please."

Mar'i wanted to argue with them, but she held her tongue. Ultimately, they were right.

"C'mon," Cyborg gestured to the hallway. "Let's go have Raven fix you some tea. Might help you calm down. We'll take you to Robin in a little bit."

**9:30 am; East Wing; Titans Tower 2006**

Robin punched in the code to the interrogation room. He sat down in one of the chairs and placed the manila folder in his hand on the table in front of him. He opened it to take a few notes but found himself distracted from the events of the past several hours. After Robin and Starfire walked Mar'i to Terra's room earlier that morning, Starfire was quick to tell him goodnight and briskly walked to her room. She was polite enough but he could tell she was not herself causing him to ruminate over the events on the beach, as well as, their new house guest. Cyborg was right, she was squirrely. And though she had only been under the Tower roof for a short time, Robin felt she wasn't being completely truthful with them. He found himself lying awake instead of taking the next couple of hours to sleep.

Despite his lack of sleep, he forced himself to go to the gym. It was after he had worked out, showered, and was dressed in his uniform when he came upon Mar'i and Starfire brawling. He noticed the sheets stripped from the bed and inferred Starfire was probably trying to gather them to wash. For some unknown reason, Mar'i was not having it. But one thing was certain, she was as scrappy as she was squirrely. He could also tell Starfire was holding back in an attempt to not injure Mar'i. She could have easily thrown her off. He intervened with the hopes of maybe starting fresh with Starfire, but she still seemed closed off. Mar'i also seemed uncomfortably by exchange, making him realize that their distance was not just affecting him. He thought again about what Starfire said about living normal lives and it was starting to sound enticing. He ran his fingers through his hair and the doors opened. Cyborg led Mar'i inside.

_Focus, Robin. _He told himself.

"Take it away, Boy Wonder." Cyborg patted Mar'i on the shoulder and gave her a reassuring wink as he left. She smiled at Cyborg and Robin gestured to the second chair for her to take a seat. She sat down across from him. He could tell she was nervous under her expressionless gaze. Robin directed his attention back to her file.

"Okay, Mar'i let's start with the basics." He began writing her name on the sheet of paper in front of him.

"That's not how you spell it." She said watching him.

"What's that?" He stopped and looked up at her.

"That's not how you spell it. My name. It's "M-a-r _apostrophe _i" not "M-a-r-y." She leaned back in her chair nonchalantly

"Interesting." He crossed out what he had previously written and wrote down the correct spelling. "Do you have a last name?" He didn't look up from the paper.

Mar'i was silent for a moment. "Griswold."

It didn't sound very convincing, but he wrote it down anyway.

"Okay, how about we start with last night? Do you remember anything at all before you woke up in Beast Boy's room?"

"I was working on Chemistry homework." She sounded honest.

"You're in high school?"

"Yes. 10th grade."

"Jump City High?"

"... That's the one."

"Great." he continued writing. "So you must have Mrs. Freeman for Chemistry, am I right?"

"Correct," she answered, confidently.

_Bingo. _Robin looked at her.

"There is no Mrs. Freeman at Jump City High."

One of Mar'i's eyes seemed to twitch, but she recovered quickly.

"Must be the amnesia talking."

He didn't buy that excuse, but he had to move on.

"Alright, Mar'i. Do you know how long you'll be staying with us?"

"Until you kick me out, I suppose?" She shrugged her shoulders and smiled nervously.

_Fair._

"Okay. What about your parents? Do you remember their names? If we could get in touch with them, then you could return home and get proper treatment."

Mar'i didn't answer again. He looked up to see her as if she was unable to form a response.

"Mar'i?"

"Well... what about your parents?" She asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you even _have_ parents?" She asked somewhat genuinely, but he could tell she was attempting to distract him. "Seriously, you're a teenager living in this huge tower. Pretty sure that's not the norm."

Robin set his pen down. He wasn't here to talk about that.

"Look, I ask the questions and you answer them. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." She answered. "But just so you know, I'm not intimidated by you."

"Glad to hear it," he replied flipping through a few more papers in the folder.

They went through several more questions, everything from where she was school, family, and again to how she thought she might have gotten in the tower. She remained tight-lipped on most topics, but by the end of the hour, Robin knew for certain was she wasn't a Jump City native. Anything he mentioned regarding the city was completely foreign to her no matter how hard she tried to cover it up. And it wasn't from her loss of memory. Not much, but it was a start. He closed the folder.

"That's all I need from you. Thanks." He stood up and pushed in his chair.

"Aren't you going to show me out?" Mar'i also pushed in her chair. "I thought I needed an escort to walk around this place."

Robin was about to respond when the alarm in the Tower sounded. Mar'i jumped, almost knocking over her chair. She looked at him expecting an explanation for the blaring noise.

"It's our crime alert." He explained as he opened the door. "Let's go. You're about to officially meet the Teen Titans."


	9. Chapter 9

Mar'i was already overthinking everything she just told Robin during the interrogation. She made it clear to Robin that she didn't go to school in the city. And _Griswold_? That was that really the best she could come up with? She mentally slapped herself. The only good thing this unpleasant noise was doing was hopefully distracting Robin from their previous exchange. How did these guys ever relax knowing this obnoxious alarm could sound at any time?

By the time she and Robin reached the common room the alarm had stopped. And the rest of the Titans had already gathered. The large windows that overlooked the water were now a humongous computer screen. Cyborg was at the control center clicking around trying to gain information while Raven and Starfire were standing behind him, observing. Beast Boy was perched on the kitchen island, scarfing down some tofu eggs.

"Why can't these guys commit crime after breakfast?! He complained as he shoveled the eggs in his mouth.

"Maybe if you got up early enough, you'd have time for breakfast." Raven retorted not breaking her concentration from the screen.

"Um... helloooo, but did you forget we were up until 4:30 am?! There was no way I was waking up at-"

"Beast Boy, please," Starfire rebuked, gently. "Cyborg requires concentration." Beast Boy huffed but resigned himself to finish his breakfast. Robin approached the group with Mar'i.

"What's the report, Cyborg?" He walked over to the control center, leaving Mar'i with the girls.

"Looks like the H.I.V.E at the downtown mall."

"Ugh!" Beast Boy groaned. "What's their deal? The mall isn't even open yet!"

"Perfect time to steal from the candy store." Cyborg joked as he shut down the monitor.

"Alright," Robin said. "Thankfully this should be a quick fight."

_How are they being so nonchalant about this? _Mar'i thought to herself. Were they actually going to run headfirst into a fistfight? Who was the H.I.V.E? While she sat there pondering what was going on, the Titans began to move until Raven stopped them.

"Wait. We can't leave Mar'i here alone. One of us should stay behind. I don't mind." she added quickly.

Robin looked to Mar'i as if wondering what to do with her.

"Good point, Raven," Robin agreed. "But, we'll definitely need you downtown."

Raven nodded but silently cursed under her breath. Mar'i, on the other hand, was so done with groundings and chaperones.

"Look, I know you all are so worried about me wandering around the tower, but I'm not looking for any deep, dark secrets here."

Robin narrowed his gaze toward her.

"No, offense, Mari, but I can't say I trust you yet. I would prefer if you weren't left completely alone."

"I'll stay!" Beast Boy volunteered eagerly ready to crawl back in his bed.

Robin ignored him and turned to Starfire.

"Are you okay to stay behind? If we get in a bind, I'll call you."

Something about the air felt thick not just to Mar'i but to all the Titans. She saw Starfire's face fall slightly. Why was her Robin coming across so...strange when he talked to her? He wasn't being rude, but something was definitely up.

"Uh, you sure that's the best decision, Rob?" Cyborg asked, hesitantly. "We could really use some that girl power, especially against Mammoth."

"_Me_!" Beast Boy reiterated, raising his hand. "_I will stay behind_!"

They continued to ignore him. Robin looked uneasy as if he was trying to search for a response, but Starfire saved him the embarrassment by forcing a smile.

"It is alright, friend Cyborg." She turned to Robin. "You may call if I am truly needed."

Robin's face softened a bit and he gave her a small smile.

"Thanks, Star. And maybe you two can work out whatever you were... fighting about this morning. Okay, everyone. Let's go."

Robin quickly exited the common room leaving the four remaining Titans. Beast Boy groaned, threw his empty plate in the sink, and followed suit. As Raven and Cyborg began to leave, Raven discreetly slipped Mar'i the communicator Robin gave her the night before.

"Saw you left this in your room. Don't lose track of it and call me if you need me."

Mar'i took it and placed it in her front pocket. Once Raven was satisfied to see she had the device, she made her way for the door. Cyborg gave Mar'i a reassuring wink as if to say don't worry and then turned to Starfire before leaving himself.

"You doing okay?"

She smiled, again it was forced.

"I am quite well. Please make haste and do the butt-kicking for me."

Cyborg didn't buy the response, but he couldn't waste any more time.

"We can chat later. See you both in a bit."

Finally, the two of them remained. Starfire turned to Mar'i as if unsure of how to engage her after the events of that morning. It was a surreal moment for Mar'i as she could sense her mom's discomfort. She decided to break the ice for both of them.

"I'm sorry about... this morning. I don't really know what my deal was." She knew it was a pathetic apology, but she tried to be as sincere as she could without disclosing the fact that she was trying to hide scathing evidence of their eventual mother-daughter relationship. Instinctively, she felt her back pocket to make sure the picture was still there. Thankfully it was. "Maybe we could start over?"

Starfire seemed to relax some and smiled a genuine smile this time.

"Of course! We could do the hanging out! Would you... would you be interested in the watching of a documentary? Or perhaps we could do the painting of the fingernails or we could do "the girl talk!"

Mar'i felt the panic start to rise in her chest again. "Girl talk" was out of the question. She'd slip. She knew it. The less conversation, the better.

"Uh... the documentary sounds interesting!"

"Glorious!" Starfire walked over to the computer monitor and switched it on. "I found a very interesting piece on fungus!" She then grabbed the remote and hopped on the couch.

Mar'i threw up in her mouth a little bit and reluctantly joined her on the sofa.

* * *

Only half an hour into the film and the documentary, and Mar'i never knew there were no many species of mushrooms and now she never wanted to eat another mushroom again. Starfire, on the other hand, was fully engaged. One thing Mar'i did learn from watching the film was that she didn't know Kori Grayson at all. She was completely in awe of the information on the screen and Mar'i didn't understand how someone could be so interested in the topic of fungi. What really threw her for a loop was when Starfire went to get a snack. She went to the fridge and came back with a mustard bottle and drank it straight through a straw. Mar'i tried not to be grossed out but Starfire caught her staring and ducked her head as if ashamed.

"My apologies. The rest of the team is used to my... unique tastes."

Mar'i immediately felt bad. She looked back at the computer monitor filled with fungi and smiled, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Don't worry, it's not as gross as that." She pointed at the screen where a large toadstool was being dissected.

Starfire also laughed and set the mustard bottle on the coffee table in front of them. She brought her knees to her chest and the two continued to watch the film.

"Tamaran does not have such organisms."

Oh, that's right, she was an alien too. As much as Mar'i was still having trouble grasping this reality she was also extremely curious. Maybe a little conversation wouldn't hurt.

"So, I hope you don't mind me asking but... if you're from space... what brought you to Earth?"

Starfire seemed to perk up at the question. She sat up, pausing the film.

"No one has ever asked me. Are you sure you want to know?"

Mar'i was surprised at the question. Who wouldn't want to know how? Not to mention, this was her moment to really know who her mom was after all these years.

"Of course, I want to know. We're... friends now. It would be good to get to know each other, I suppose."

Starfire's eyes seemed to sparkle for the first time that day.

"Oh, I would be happy to share it with you! Where to begin? Ah, it all started back on my home planet of Tamaran..."

Mar'i listened intently as Starfire recapped the last 4 years of her life to her. Her capture, slavery, and eventually breaking out of the Gordanian prison ship and landing on earth.

"That is when I met the rest of the team!" She explained. "Beast Boy used to wear this large mask with ears, Cyborg was wearing a... a sweating shirt? Is that what it is called?" She asked.

"Do you mean, sweatshirt?" Mar'i asked, uncertainly as she was still attempting to process all the new information she was learning..

"Yes, that is it. He was not as comfortable in his new body yet. And Raven was much more reserved than she is now."

Mar'i noticed she still hadn't mentioned the fearless leader. Come to think of it, her parents never told her how they met. They just met. Why Mar'i had never asked them before was strange to her. Now was her chance.

"Well, what about Robin? How did you meet _him_?"

Starfire's face became physically flushed and she attempted to hide a smile.

"Oh, yes. Robin was the first person to show me any kindness once I landed here. He has continued to show me that same kindness as I am still adapting to Earthly customs." She picked up her bottle of mustard again and took a sip.

"I see..." Mar'i processed. Starfire's answers were still vague and the details were to a minimum. Should she push further? Yes. She needed to know what the state of their relationship was, especially after the awkward exchanges from the morning. "So, when did you two start dating?"

Starfire's choked on her mustard in surprise which coincidentally came out of her nose. She began coughing.

"Yikes, you okay?!" Mar'i asked worriedly.

_Okay apparently, that train hasn't left the station yet. _

Starfire regained her composure and just as she was about to answer, the widows in the tower went black. That's also when the lights went out.

* * *

Starfire illuminated the dark common room with a starbolt. Her nostrils burned from the mustard she had just inhaled. She certainly wasn't expecting Mar'i to ask her such a question regarding her and Robin, but she did her best to shake off her discomposure. There was a bigger issue to worry about. She could tell by the way the windows blacked out that the tower's security system had malfunctioned, and was on lockdown mode. But that didn't explain the loss of electricity. Did a fuse blow? Was the city out of power? This was a situation that Cyborg would normally handle. She had no idea what to do. All her thoughts of troubleshooting were interrupted by Mar'i.

"How- how are you doing that?"

Starfire turned to Mar'i who was distracted by her starbolt. Her face looked pale despite the green glow that shone against it. Normally, Starfire would have taken more time to explain her powers to Mar'i, but her thoughts were too scattered."

"I- I just can. Come, we must determine what has caused this outage."

"But-"

"Now is not the time." Starfire grabbed Mar'i with her non-glowing hand and led her to the common room doors. "Please assist me."

The two of them manually pushed open the automatic door and then they entered the hallway. Not even the emergency lights were on. The hair on Starfire's neck stood up. Something wasn't right.

"What's going on?" Mar'i asked. "And can you please tell me why your hand is glowing?"

"Shh!" Starfire shushed her. She listened closely until she heard a faint sound, almost like air slowly being let out of a tire. She took her starbolt and lit the floor. Starfire and Mar'i both looked down at their feet and saw a faint mist. _Gas. _Though she was unsure what kind, it wasn't supposed to be there.

"Cover your face!" Starfire instructed Mar'i. Mar'i, completely frightened, did as she said and covered her nose with her shirt collar. Starfire grabbed her hand again and the two turned and ran, the starbolt their only source of light. The gas was odorless, but that didn't mean it wasn't effective. Starfire began to feel faint herself, but she knew she would be able to last longer than Mar'i in the fumes. They needed to get to the basement where the controls for the security system were. From there she could call Cyborg and maybe he could walk them through how to disarm the tower.

After running around in the dark for too long, Starfire located the basement door and the two descended the stairs. Starfire's vision started to blur a bit but she persisted until they found the security control panel. She turned to Mar'i to make sure she was okay.

"Are you feeling alert?"

Mar'i nodded under her shirt

"Yes, but what's going on?!"

"Someone or something had caused the tower's security to malfunction. We need to get it back on again."

Starfire opened the metal panel and studied the controls. She had no idea where to begin. She reached into her pocket to call Cyborg when she felt her knees buckle and she began to feel dizzy. Her starbolt went out as Mar'i caught her. They both sunk to the floor.

"Starfire! Starfire!" She shook her attempting to revive her.

Starfire felt her vision fail her. She heard Mar'i calling her name, but she couldn't will herself to answer.

_"Starfire! Starfire! Kori..."_


	10. Chapter 10

At this point, Mar'i was in a full panic. She put her fingers on Starfire's neck. A pulse. Thank goodness. But they were still screwed. Mar'i's only source of light was unconscious, the tower was filling with invisible gas, and they were locked inside.

_Pull yourself together, Mar'i! S_he silently scolded herself. Should she try and fix the security system? She glanced up at the panel to see all the flickering buttons and switches. Yeah, that was out of the question. Then she remembered: the communicator!

She reached into her pocket flipped it open. The small light of the screen came on and she tapped it uncertainly.

"Hello?! Help! Can anyone hear me?"

The small screen was static-y for a moment, then Raven's face appeared. She seemed surprised to be receiving a call so soon.

"Mar'i?"

"Raven, the tower- it's dark! I can't see and there's gas!" Mar'i found herself unable to organize her thoughts.

"Calm down," Raven instructed. "Where are you? Where's Starfire?"

"We're both in the basement. She's passed out. The gas-"

That's when Mar'i stopped herself. If the gas was a sedative of some form, why hadn't it affected her too? At this point, she should unconcious as well. That's when she heard a _woosh._ Something knocked the communicator out her hand sending it into the black.

"You won't be needing that." a male voice came to her in the darkness.

_"Mar'i?! Who's there?!" _She heard Raven calling for her on the other end. Then there was static and communication was lost.

The hum of the emergency lights turned on, dimly lighting the basement. Frantically, she searched for the disembodied voice. When she looked over toward the stairs there was a figure in the shadow. _ Oh no._ They had to get out of here. She turned her attention back to Starfire who was still on the floor not moving and shook her again.

_Please, please wake up!_

Before she could attempt to revive her again, she heard the voice say,

"She'll be back to her cheery self in an hour or so."

The voice stepped out of the shadow to reveal a black-suited figure. His face was concealed with a white mask, a prominent red X across his left eye. Mar'i froze. It didn't take much for her to figure out that this guy was not a fellow Titan. With her mom down and no one else there, she had no choice to but stand her ground. She stood to her feet and attempted to keep her knees from shaking.

"Who are you?" her voice quivered slightly as the masked man walked toward her.

"Let's just say I'm a friend of your dad's. Nice to finally meet you, _Mar'i Grayson_."

_He knew. _

He stopped walking once he was several feet in front of her.

"Don't worry, Little Gray. You're secret's safe with me, for now, anyway."

Despite her fear, Mar'i was angry. She wasn't going to let this guy patronize her. "What do you want then? And why did you hack their security?!"

"Had to get you alone. Although, I wasn't expecting the princess to stay behind with you. I should have guessed Robin wouldn't want here by yourself."

Something clicked in Mar'i's head. There was no break-in at the mall. It was all a set all up.

"Look, I don't know you. And my dad taught me never to talk to strangers. I think you should leave."

"Not until we chat for a moment. You want to go home, don't you? Well, guess what? I can get you back."

She was surprised but at the same time, wasn't convinced.

"At what cost? What's in it for you? "

"Surprisingly, I want nothing. But, you... you have to tell them who you are."

This was bogus. She felt her face start to get hot with anger and she balled her hands into fists.

"Don't shoot the messenger." He warned putting his hands up.

"I could cease to exist. Why would I trust you to get me home?"

The masked man crossed his arms. Was he... annoyed?

"Believe it or not, Little Gray, I'm trying to help you out. The longer you're here, the more trouble you're causing."

This was unbelievable. She wanted to go home, but there was no way Mar'i was going to allow this masked stranger to help her.

"I won't be needing your help."

"Have it your way."

She covered her face prepared for him to attack her but nothing came. Instead, she heard a thud and the sound of a struggle. She looked and saw Robin between her and the masked man. The two were locked, facing each other and both hanging on to Robin's staff. They were evenly matched.

"Red X." Robin addressed him.

"How's it going, kid?" He mocked.

"How'd you get in the tower?!"

"I have my ways. How do you think I got the suit in the first place?" In one swift motion, he kicked Robin in the stomach. Robin grunted and fell backward but quickly recovered by somersaulting backward and onto his feet. The masked man, who was named Red X stood several feet away in a battle stance. Robin whipped out his staff.

"I was just getting to know your new house guest. She's not very personable."

"Neither am I."

Robin rushed him and the two began to fight. Mar'i got to see where she got her interest in gymnastics. Robin was all over the place. She wanted to keep watching but she forced herself to move. Seeing her window of opportunity, she ran back over to Starfire. They needed to get out of the basement. She looked toward the top of the stairs to see Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy watching the fight below. At that point, Red X had started unleashing electric Xs towards Robin who deflected them one after another with his staff. Cyborg and Beast Boy jumped into action running down to assist Robin, but Red X threw one of his restraint Xs at them. It wrapped around both of their ankles and the two of them tumbled to the bottom of the stairwell.

"Man, I can't stand this guy!" Cyborg hit the floor with his fist while Beast Boy rapidly changed into as many animals as possible to break free but to no avail.

Raven took the smarter route and transported herself through an energy orb from the top of the stairs down to Mar'i and Starfire.

"Are you okay? And what is Red X doing here?!" she yelled to her over the fighting in the background.

"First of all, Mar'i began. "I don't know who this Red X is, but I do know he knocked your power out and drugged her." She pointed to the limp Starfire. "Can you help?"

Raven turned her attention to Starfire and also checked her pulse.

"I'm going to take her to the medical bay. I'd take you with me, but I'm not sure you can handle the energy yet. Get to the stairs." And with that Raven concealed herself and Starfire in an orb and disappeared. Mar'i saw the path for the door and started to run when one of Red X's shurikens grazed her face. She stopped and flinched from the sting. She wiped her cheek and a small amount of blood remained on her finger. It was only a scratch, but it was enough.

"Thought you might want in, Little Gray." he taunted. She noticed Robin was down, clutching his side with the wind knocked out of him. Cyborg and Beast Boy remained restrained. She turned to X and scowled. This guy was unbelievable! Now she was pissed.

"You expect me to fight you?"

"Why not? I'll go easy on you this time."

Robin rose to his feet and started for Red X, who simply shot an electric X from his palm, stunning him. He fell to his hands and knees as if someone had just tased him. Watching Robin struggle to stand made Mar'i's blood boil. That was it. She couldn't let this jerk hurt them any longer. Against her better judgment, she ran straight towards Red X.

"Mar'i, what the heck are you doing?!" She heard Beast Boy yell.

"That's more like it." Red X seemed pleased and started for her as well. When the two met in the middle, Red X, clearly had the upper hand, although Mar'i was able to tackle him and surprisingly brought him to the ground. Apparently, the grappling session with Starfire had paid off. She attempted to punch him, but she snatched her wrists and rolled on top of her Like Robin, the wind was knocked out of her. Red X seemed satisfied by the short scuffle and stood up. He towered over her.

"Nice try, Little Gray. But I appreciate the effort."

Mar'i felt such rage that she had never experienced before. This guy knew her secret, and he was hurting her family. She wasn't going to let him get away unscathed. Her eyes grew hot and the room was instantly illuminated with a green light. Red X's eyes widened, clearly unprepared for this. He was knocked off his feet, falling backward onto the concrete. Mar'i grabbed her eyes and rolled over onto her knees. Was she blind?! Did she just go blind?! She rubbed her eyes and blinked several times. Okay, her vision was still intact. She then noticed Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Robin all staring in disbelief and Red X lying hunched over on the basement floor, struggling to stand.

"Dude..." was all Beast Boy could manage.

"You're..."Cyborg tried to speak.

"You're Tameranean." Robin narrowed his gaze toward her still clutching his side in pain and not happy about this new information.

The only one who didn't seem surprised was Red X, who let out a strained, but amused, laugh.

"Ha. Like mother, like daughter." With that, he pressed the center of his belt and immediately disappeared.

* * *

After the boys recovered, Robin was able to cut Cyborg and Beast Boy free from the restraint X with a birdarang. He then grabbed Mar'i by the arm and lead her out of the basement. It reminded her of the time she was at the Gotham City Park with Dick when she was young. She had run out of his sight and once he found her, and lead her back to their beat-up station wagon, furious. This moment felt like a deja vu but with much higher stakes, and Robin was much more enraged.

They entered into the hallway where the lights were functioning normally again and Robin let go of her.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Dude, language!" Beast Boy scolded and he and Cyborg entered the hallway.

"Beast Boy, I don't need this right now." He snapped and turned back to Mar'i. "Why didn't you tell us you were Tameranean?! Did you _conveniently_ forget?"

Mar'i was stunned and didn't know how to respond. Dick had never blown up at her like this and to see his teenage self this way was unnerving. She found herself stuttering.

"I-I honestly, don't know. I- I don't even know... what that was, or how I did- Whatever that was."

Robin wasn't happy with that answer. He pointed at her.

"Well, you better figure it out. The fact that Red X was in our home, clearly trying to get to you, makes me a little more wary of having you under our roof."

Mar'i started to grow angry again. Maybe she couldn't talk back to her Dad, but Robin was another story.

"I'm not working with him if that's what you're suggesting. I don't even know him!"

Robin huffed.

"My point is, if you put any member of my team in unnecessary danger again, I won't hesitate to remove you from the premises. One of them is already in the infirmary because of you."

"Are you kidding, me?!" Mar'i was beside herself. "He's the one who released toxic chemicals in your house! _I_ was the one who called for help!"

Robin stepped closer to her and locked his gaze.

"Then how come the gas didn't affect you? Why is Starfire in the clinic and you're not?"

Mar'i wanted to argue back, but the truth was, she had no idea why the toxin hasn't affect her. She felt completely dumbfounded.

"I- I don't know... Please, you have to believe me."

Robin was still agitated. His tone softened slightly but it was firm.

"I want to trust you, Mar'i. I really do, but you're not giving me much to work with." Before he could say anything else, he grunted and bent over in pain, grabbing his side where Red X had injured him during the fight.

"Man, maybe you should cool down," Cyborg suggested. "And speaking of the infirmary, you should probably go there yourself."

Robin took a deep breath and reluctantly agreed.

"Fine. This discussion isn't over though. Can you guys take her to her room? And Cyborg, reprogram the Tower's security. I don't want X getting in here again."

Cyborg and Beast Boy agreed to his orders and Robin left them to go to the medical wing. As for Mar'i, she tried to maintain her composure but her eyes welled up with tears. Maybe it was the adrenaline of the afternoon wearing off, or maybe it was the fact that this Red X knew her identity, or possibly the fact that Robin - her dad- just ripped her to shreds. Either reason was sufficient. She felt Cyborg pull her into a bear hug and Beast Boy placed a hand on her shoulder.

"S'alright," Beast Boy assured her. "He yells at me too!"

"We'll figure this out," Cyborg told her. "C'mon let's get you to your room and we'll talk."

* * *

**Medical Bay**

By the time Robin had entered the clinic, he figured his blood pressure had finally gone down. How could he be so stupid? He should have known it was a set up the minute they reached the mall and the H.I.V.E. was nowhere to be seen. They searched the entire area for half an hour at least and found nothing. That's when Raven got the call and his stomach dropped. He hopped on the R-Cycle immediately and was pretty sure he had broken the sound barrier a few times on the way back to the Tower as fast as he was going.

Raven was checking the monitors while Starfire lay still unconscious on one of the medical beds beside her. The doors closed behind him and Raven turned, raising an eyebrow when she saw him clutching his side.

"Looks like you got your butt kicked."

He smirked and walked over to the monitors to study the information.

"How is she?"

"She'll be fine. It looks like he concocted a solution of metallic chromium. You know that stuff she's allergic to?"

"I remember."

"Well, apparently, when mixed with water vapor, sneezing is the least of her problems. It just needs some time to work its way out of her system."

Robin sighed with relief. The pain shot through his side again and he grimaced.

"Alright," Raven grabbed a stool from another corner of the clinic. "Let's take a look at you."

Robin sat down and Raven lifted his shirt to examine his left side.

"Bruised ribs." She looked at him "Again."

"Great." Robin rolled his eyes.

"Be grateful," Raven placed a hand on the injured area. "This is the easiest thing wound to heal. Much less difficult than a fracture."

It was the third time this week he ended up in the medical wing for his ribs. Before Mar'i arrived he took a good beating from Brother Blood, and just the weekend before, from Cinderblock. It just another reminder of his humanity, unlike the rest of the team. He wondered for a moment what it would feel like to be invincible.

_Must be nice._

The warmth from Raven's hand started to radiate and he turned to watch Starfire's monitor.

"Mar'i's Tameranean." Robin said matter-of-factly. Raven raised an eyebrow, surprisingly unfazed, although curious. Despite this, she didn't break her concentration from the healing.

"Oh? How did you make this discovery?"

"She blasted X. With her eyes... like Starfire can."

Raven's face stiffened and her eyes widened slightly. She removed her hand from Robin's side and handed him a heating pad from the medical cart next to him. She then crossed her arms as if annoyed. Did Robin also see her roll her eyes?

"Unbelievable."She breathed. "Why didn't she tell us?"

Robin couldn't tell if Raven was talking to herself or not

"Beats me," Robin he answered anyway. "You've interacted with her more than I have. She didn't mention anything?"

"Nothing." Raven seemed distracted. She glanced at Starfire's monitor once more then turned back to Robin.

"I need to go. Do you mind hanging with sleeping beauty for a bit?"

Robin looked at Starfire then back to Raven.

"Not a problem."

"I didn't think it would be. Keep that pad on."

Robin said he would and Raven left the infirmary leaving Robin, a sleeping Starfire, and the beeping monitor next to them. Robin pulled the stool next to the bed and with his free hand, held Starfire's hand in his. Though he knew she was going to be completely fine, guilt rushed over him. This time it was a harmless sedative. Next time, it could be worse. Once again, a "normal" life sounded pretty nice.

_I should have been there. _

His thoughts then moved to Mar'i and he thought back to the way he yelled at her. He started feeling terrible about that too. He thought about the shocked expression on her face. Maybe she was telling the truth. But still she had powers and she hadn't told anyone. He was starting to believe the amnesia was wearing off. If she even had amnesia at all. Why was she being so secretive?

"Robin?"

He looked up to see Starfire. She was tired, but she was awake and that's all that mattered.

"Hey," he smiled at her "Good to see you alert."

She looked around the room trying to take in her surroundings.

"The power... the tower security. It is functioning."

"Yeah, it was back on by the time we made it home."

Without warning she sat straight up in bed, letting go of Robin's hand.

"Where is Mar'i?! Is she alright? She- I'm positive she is frightened." She kicked her legs over the side of the bed. "I must find her!" She tried to stand but her legs gave way. Robin was quick to catch her, dropping the heating pad.

"Not so fast!" he steadied her and made her sit back on the edge of the bed. "You need to let the toxin wear off. And Mar'i's fine. She's- she's the one who called us." He held her arms and looked her in the eyes. Starfire nodded absorbing the information she then gave a small smile.

"Thank X'hal we gave her the communicator."

Robin gave a small laugh. "Yeah, thank X'hal." He was then reminded his side still hurt when he felt another bout of pain. He grasped it trying to breathe normally. Starfire was immediately concerned.

"Robin, you are injured!"

"I'm fine, Raven healed it mostly." He sat down next to her on the edge of the bed. He reached down and grabbed the heating pad again. She placed a hand on his arm and he felt his stomach flutter.

_Stop it. _He reprimanded himself.

"Tell me, how did we fair against the H.I.V.E.?" Starfire asking him, breaking his train of thought.

"We didn't," Robin shook his head, defeated. "Red X set us up. He was the one who hacked the tower's security. He was here when we arrive."

"Odium! Scandal!" Starfire stood up enraged but stumbled. Robin took her hand pulling her back down.

"You _have_ to sit down."

"My apologies, but Robin, how dare he? Why?!"

"I don't know. But his reasoning has something to do with Mar'i."

Starfire's face looked confused. "Mar'i? What could he possibly want with her?"

Robin pondered whether to break the news to Starfire. Might as well do it now rather than later.

"Starfire, she's Tameranean. She literally lit him on fire, with starbolts. Just like you. She was the one who took him down."

Starfire was quiet for a moment to take in the information, but then her eyes started to sparkle. To Robin's surprise, she was elated.

"Truly?! Oh, Robin, that is glorious!"

This was not the reaction Robin was expecting, but then he remembered this was Starfire. She always saw the good in people first. He knew this was something he should do himself, but unfortunately, it didn't come as naturally for him. Especially since Mar'i wasn't upfront about her abilities bothered him. He sighed.

"Starfire, she lied to us."

Starfire pondered for a moment.

"It is quite possible that she was unaware of her abilities. Either from memory loss or... maybe she chose to forget." Starfire winced, but quickly jumped back to the subject at hand. "I also used my starbolt for light when the power was out. She appeared confused." Starfire looked thoughtful. "Truly, Robin, I doubt she knew she harnessed the same power."

He wasn't too sure about that, but Robin was starting to feel guilty again for yelling at her. Maybe he shouldn't have been so quick to accuse but that still didn't explain why the toxin only affected Starfire and not Mar'i. If they were both Tameranean why weren't the both unconscious when the arrived at the tower? And why was Red X so interested in her? Mar'i clearly didn't know how to control her powers, but thinking back to the fight, she _did_ physically take X down, even if it was just for a moment. Scrappy and squirrely for sure, but there was also... potential?

Wait. That was it.

"Star, maybe we could help her."


	11. Chapter 11

**Terra's Room; Titans Tower; 2006**

Mar'i was lying prostrate on the bed when Raven burst into the room flinging the doors open with her energy. Cyborg who was sitting in the desk chair quickly stood up and Beast Boy jumped. Mar'i didn't move.

"You sure as hell better start talking." Raven's tone was level but she was angry. A couple of lightbulbs in the room shattered.

"Since when did we all start cursing?!" Beast Boy jumped again as the desk lamp shattered next to him.

Mar'i groaned and rolled over onto her back. She hated 2006.

"Why didn't you tell us you had powers?!" Raven continued, ignoring Beast Boy. "Did you seriously think you could just blow Red X sky high and we wouldn't bat an eye?"

"Raven-" Cyborg started, putting his hands up in front of him. "Maybe you should-" Raven turned toward him.

"Cyborg, if you tell me to calm down, I will open the floodgates of Hades."

"That seems a bit extreme don't you think?" Beast Boy smirked but Raven wasn't having it. He narrowed her eyes at him.

"If you haven't noticed, this whole situation is extreme." She gestured to Mar'i. "She shouldn't be here and none of this should be happening." She briskly turned her attention back to Mar'i. "Why didn't you-"

"I didn't know!" Mar'i sat up, exasperated. She stood to her feet. "I didn't know I had any powers or abilities whatsoever!" Mar'i''s her head started to hurt. Maybe it was some remnant of her concussion, but she was starting to feel sick. Robin was mad at her. Raven was mad at her... again. Some thief named Red X knew her identity. And to put a cherry on top of this twisted situation, she possessed alien powers.

"But how could you _not know_," Raven continued to press her. "You're their kid!"

Mar'i couldn't take it anymore.

"BECAUSE THEY NEVER TOLD ME!" Mar'i screamed at her. It was then she started to feel the tears again. "They never told me about... any of this." Her voice lowered to almost a whisper when she felt the lump rise in her throat.

Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy fell silent. Raven took a deep breath, knowing she had pushed too far. She looked to Cyborg to take over the conversation. He got the hint and slowly sat down on the edge of the bed. He gestured for Mar'i to sit next to him and she complied. Even if 2006 was the worst year ever, at least Cyborg was there to make it bearable.

"What do you mean, they didn't tell you?" Cyborg questioned. Mar'i held her head in her hands and sighed.

"My parents aren't crime-fighters like your friends. They're just my parents. We live in a 3-bedroom house and drive a Volkswagon. The closest thing to crime-fighting is that my dad is on the force with Gotham PD." She shrugged her shoulders. A tear escaped from her eye but she quickly wiped it away. "I'm so stupid."

"Don't talk like that." Cyborg scolded.

"You don't understand," Mar'i explained. "They tried to tell me. Two days ago, My mom and I- uh Starfire," She clarified for the three. "Got in an argument. She got frustrated and sometimes when she gets worked up it's like... she's forgotten how to speak normally. Now I know why. But I had joked about it and Dad- Robin- I mean... got angry."

"That seems on-brand for Robin." Beast Boy admitted.

"Anyway," Mar'i continued. "They started telling me about themselves. Dad said he was Robin, Mom told me she was an alien." Mar'i shook her head. "Needless to say, I didn't believe them. Now, look at me."

The room was quiet for a moment until Beast Boy broke the silence with a snort and a cackle.

"Dude..." Beast Boy breathed "So, Robin and Starfire are... _civies_? That's rich! "

"Azar." Raven rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Do you have to make everything a joke?"

"What? You have to admit it's weird!"

Mar'i swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked at Beast Boy.

"Civies?"

"It's what we call vigilantes who choose civilian life." Raven explained.

"So, you really didn't know about your powers?" Cyborg asked again.

Mar'i shook her head.

"I didn't even know my mom- Starfire- had abilities until today. I don't know her or my Dad at all, apparently." She then looked up at the three Titans. They each looked at her nervously, even Raven who was trying to hide her expression under her stoic facade.

"Did they ever mention-" Beast Boy started. "Did they ever tell you about..."

Mar'i saved him the trouble from finishing the question.

"I've never heard of you." She looked at each of them individually. "Either of you. They never told me about the Teen Titans."

Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven's silence were deafening. Cyborg's face fell and Raven, though still expressionless, looked at the floor. This wasn't information they were hoping to hear.

"That- that can't be right," Beast Boy protested. "They wouldn't- we wouldn't-" He looked to Raven and Cyborg expecting them to make sense of it all. Raven wanted to ease Beast Boy's sadness, but she could also sense Mar'i wasn't lying.

"It's true, Beast Boy," Raven confirmed.

"But- but Star- She came back." He anxiously started to pace.

"Beast Boy," Cyborg attempted to calm him.

"We're going to stay friends. We're going to be a team!" He walked over to Mar'i and pointed at her angrily "AND I WILL HAVE HAIR!"

Raven restrained him with her energy and pulled him away from Mar'i.

"We need to control our emotions. If Robin and Starfire didn't tell her about their past... or us... They must have had a good reason." She released Beast Boy who was starting to get heated at this point. Mar'i could feel the pressure rising in the room, and immediately regretted everything she told them.

"Guys-" She tried to interject, but Beast Boy didn't even hear.

"You can't seriously be okay knowing that our friends are going to abandon us."

"We don't know that." Raven countered.

"Raven, you were in the nuthouse!" Beast Boy yelled. "They can't just forget you like that! I can't- We can't let that happen again."

Raven's body stiffened but she remained composed. Cyborg stood up and put a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder.

"None of that has even happened yet. When Starfire went to the future, things changed. Mari is evidence of that. Who's to say, she can't change some things too?"

Mar'i wiped her remaining tears away, stood up from the bed, and walked over to join them. Though she had only known these peculiar teens for two days, to see them so downcast was painful. This was more than just her existence or future at stake. It was theirs too.

_There has to be hope._

"Cyborg's right." Mar'i agreed. forcing wiping the last of her tears. "Things can still change. They _have_ to. This just means we need to get serious about finding the clock and figuring out why your pal Red X knows my identity."

"He's definitely not our pal." Raven scoffed.

"Either way," Mar'i continued. "He knows what's going on here. He made a big enough scene in the basement to let me know that much."

"Let's just say X is one to make a statement."

"He's also an asshole." Beast Boy crossed his arms satisfied that he got his one curse word in.

The conversation was then interrupted when the communicator in Cyborg's arm beeped. He opened up the screen.

"_Cyborg-_" She heard Robin on the other end. "_Round up the rest of the team and meet in the common room in 5!"_

Cyborg rubbed his forehead.

"Man, we all just got our butts handed to us. Especially you. Why don't you just take it easy?"

_"I'm fine. Star's up too."_

"_Hello, friend Cyborg_!"

Cyborg gave a small smile seeing to Starfire was up and moving. He sighed.

"Alright, we'll be there in a few." He closed the communicator and looked to the three teens. "This conversation isn't over. Let's be sure to regroup."

Cyborg motioned for them to follow him. He and Raven exited the room, but Beast Boy wasn't as eager. He stood there for a moment as if contemplating then looked back to Mar'i.

"Sorry, Mar'i. It's just that... the future Star saw wasn't great. I don't want that to be the case again."

Her heart sank. Beast Boy started to leave, but Mar'i grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Look, I don't know what future Starfire told you about, but it's not mine. They may not have told me everything, but there's no way my parents forgot about you. Any of you. I'm confident of that."

Beast Boy's eyes looked back at her with sad eyes, but he smiled and forced a laugh.

"They better not. If that's the case, you're really missing out on Awesome Uncle B and Aunt R-!" He stopped himself and covered his mouth. Oops.

"And my Aunt Raven?" Mar'i let out an amused laugh. His normally green skin turned to a deep shade of red. He began to stutter, clearly rattled.

"Uh... I uh... You...You better not tell anyone!" He wagged his finger at her.

"Interesting." She smiled, but gave him a wink and ran out of the room.

Beast Boy groaned as he turned into a greyhound and bounded down the hallway behind her.

* * *

**Common Room; Titans Tower; 2006**

Despite his bruised ribs, Robin was feeling confident. After he told Starfire his idea and she was sold immediately. Now it was time to get the rest of the team on board. To make things better it was as if the events on the beach were nonexistent. Starfire wasn't avoiding him like the plague and conversation started to feel normal again. They were on the same page again and it felt good. He silently thanked Red X (much to his chagrin) for kicking off this chain of events. And now he might be able to crack the case of Mar'i Griswold - if that even was her name, and catch X in the process. Two birds with one stone. Robin and Starfire were waiting by the kitchen island when the remaining Titans and Mar'i entered the common room. Upon seeing Mar'i, Starfire gave her a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh, new friend Mar'i! To see you well is so very satisfying!"

"Thanks," Mar'i mustered. "You too." Her air supply started to dwindle from the embrace.

"And you are Tameranean! You are like me! Do you know how glorious this news is?!"

When Robin noticed Mar'i start to turn a shade of blue, he quickly gestured for everyone to follow him over to the sofa. Starfire released her grip and made her way to the couch. Mar'i gasped and met eyes with Robin who gave her a "_get used to it_" kind of look.

Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven all took their usual spots on the sofa with Beast Boy and Cyborg on the left and Raven further down on the right side. Mar'i sat down hesitantly between the three. Robin took his spot in front of everyone and signaled Starfire to stand with him. She seemed surprised, but briskly joined him with a grin.

"So what's going on, man?" Cyborg bent over. "Are we going to obsess over capturing Red X now?

"He's definitely back on the radar, but that's not the reason for this meeting."

"More combat practice because you want us on our A-game?" Beast Boy guessed unenthusiastically.

"No," Robin answered, perturbed. "The reason is Mar'i." He looked at her as did everyone else. She felt the heat rise to her face in the discomfort.

"I told you. I _swear_ to you, I didn't know." She protested. "That was the first time I ever did... what I did."

"We know," Robin assured her. "That's why Starfire and I-"

"We want to train you!" Starfire interrupted him, clapping her hands together in excitement.

Mar'i blinked not understanding. It was Raven who replied in her place.

"What do you mean 'train her?' Like, join the team?!"

Mar'i went from confusion to immediate alarm.

"No, I can't- I can't be a Teen Titan. I really can't!"

"Oh no, you misunderstand," Starfire cheerfully explained. "We are not asking you to be a Titan. Robin had the idea that maybe if we were to aid you on how to use your powers, you might possibly regain some of your memory! Maybe it would trigger some things for you!"

"Not to mention," Robin interjected. "We tend to find ourselves in a lot of sticky situations. Today was a prime example. If you're going to be staying with us for a bit, you'll need some work on your hand-to-hand combat. I would assist in that arena."

"Uh... so what does this training look like?" Cyborg anxiously pried.

"2 hours," Robin answered. "Starfire would work with her for an hour to harness her abilities. Mar'i and I would have combat practice for the other hour. Of course, training may go longer or shorter depending on how much progress she makes."

"And what do you want us to do?" Raven asked trying to mask the worry in her voice. "Are we helping with training too?"

"As needed," Robin responded. "However, I'm primarily tasking the three of you to track down X. Starfire and I will obviously assist as well outside of Mar'is training." He then spoke to Mar'i directly. "He's interested in you Mar'i and we need to find out why whether you can remember or not."

"But-" Mar'i tried to object. Robin stopped her.

"No, buts. Starfire and I will see you in the gym at 9 am tomorrow morning."

Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven all looked at each other anxiously while Mar'i hoped they could bail her out. She looked to Raven who only shook her head unsure of how to get her out of this scenario.

"Do not worry," Starfire sat next to Mar'i and placed an arm around her shoulder. "It will be most enjoyable. We get to know you and you get to rediscover who you are!"

"That's what I'm afraid of..."


	12. Chapter 12

Mar'i saw the communicator on her bedside table when she woke the next morning. The post-it note attached to it read,

_Please hang on to this, for goodness sake. _

She deduced from the gothic styled handwriting it was from Raven. She opened it. The time read _7:32 am_ and the date read in the bottom right-hand corner, _May 5, 2006._ And this was the moment she decided she would stop trying to "wake up." She was still in 2006 in a girl named Terra's room.

After Robin had dismissed the team that previous evening, he and Starfire left the remaining Titans so they could go plan the training activities. Mar'i had a short conversation with Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven. While they weren't expecting this twist in their plans, but they assured her it might actually work out in their favor. They would have uninterrupted time looking for Red X which meant they might actually be able to figure out why he knew Mar'i's identity and simultaneously find the clock that would get her home. When she tried to convince them to get her out of training, they told her that was out of the question.

_"Sorry, girl._ _Rob seems pretty set on this, " _Cyborg said. "_You're going to have to go along with it until we can figure something out."_

_"And 'sides," _Beast Boy offered,_ "You said, you didn't know you, parents, very well. Maybe this is your chance to get to really get to know them! Even though... ya know, it's still SUPER weird."_

Raven assured her they would do all they could, but it was up to her to keep cool.

That was the end of that conversation. The boys attempted to lighten the mood by trying to convince her to play a video game, but Mar'i wasn't interested. She retired to bed early that evening despite Beast Boy's protests of it only being 7:00 pm. She didn't even bother to change into the pajamas Starfire had provided and fell asleep the minute her head hit the pillow. Now even after 12 hours of much-needed sleep, she wasn't sure if she felt rested or completely numb. She had powers, apparently, and for someone who considered herself pretty secure in her identity Mar'i wasn't sure if she even knew herself anymore. If she had Tameranean abilities, why hadn't they surfaced until now? She didn't know, but she willed herself out of bed to get ready for her first session in an hour and a half.

Something in her gut told her to look outside her door. She opened it and found a pair of workout clothes folded neatly at her feet. A pair of black workout leggings and a neutral, gray quick-dry t-shirt. She grabbed them and promptly changed out of her day-old clothes into the workout attire. Though she wasn't entirely sure what these sessions would entail, it was obvious that sweat would be involved. She'd shower later.

After changing into the clothes, she brushed through her raven hair and braided it into a long, side ponytail the way her Mom used to when she was little and quickly splashed some water on her face. She took a deep breath and tried to hide the few flyaways that framed her face, but decided it was no use.

After remembering to grab the communicator, she made her way toward the common room since she didn't know where else to go. Thank goodness, Robin finally gave her permission to walk the hallways alone. She had Raven to thank for that who had convinced Robin the constant surveillance was unnecessary at this point. And as kind as Cyborg and Beast Boy had been thus far Mar'i knew they were probably getting tired of being her escorts up and down the halls. Upon entering the common room, she found Cyborg at what appeared to be his usual place, behind the stove whipping up some scrambled eggs.

"So, are you the in-house chef or something?" Mar'i mused as she took a seat at the counter.

"Might as well be!" Cyborg laughed as he stirred the eggs with his spatula. "Raven would only drink tea if she had it her way. Everything is tofu or some meat alternative for Beast Boy. And Robin is always 'too busy' to eat." Cyborg chuckled, "The boy would be 20 lbs soaking wet if I didn't feed him."

"And Starfire?" Mar'i asked.

"Oh, the girl can eat. She's got nine stomachs, but she only cooks Tameranean food. I wouldn't call it the most... appetizing." He grimaced and spooned some eggs on a plate next to him and slid it to Mar'i. "Did she- your mom- ever make you try any of it?" He handed her a fork which Mar'i took happily.

"Not that I know of, but I'm always hungry." She took a bite of the eggs and smiled. "Although I am happy to report Kori Grayson can make a pretty mean lasagna."

"That's reassuring." Cyborg spooned some eggs onto a plate for himself. "Well, you better eat up," he pointed to her plate, "You're going to need all the protein you can get before your first session."

Mar'i noticed how nice it was to talk about something other than the fact that she could disintegrate into inexistence. She also realized after seeing the steaming eggs on her plate how hungry she was. She promptly scarfed them down to the point where Cyborg couldn't help but watch the savagery in awe and slight horror.

"Oh yeah... you're definitely Star's kid."

Mar'i wiped her mouth.

"I"m pretty sure I only have one stomach though."

"The resemblance still stands."

Mar'i reached for the communicator in her back pocket and checked the time. It was only 8:30, but she took into account that finding the gym itself may actually take her half an hour in this tower. Cyborg took her empty plate as if reading her mind.

"You better get going. Take a right in the hallway and take the elevator down to the second floor. The gym will be on the left once you get there."

"Thanks, Cyborg."

"You'll do fine," he assured her. "BB, Raven, and I are going to get to work. We'll let you know if we find anything."

* * *

**Gymnasium; Titans Tower; 2006**

Robin did a once over on all the equipment to make sure it all worked properly. He checked the clock on his communicator which read 8:35. He had been in the gym since 6:30 to do a simple workout to get his head straight before working with Mar'i. Working with his team was different. They trained together daily but that was only to perfect their skills at this point. This would be the first time in six years since he helped train anyone, nonetheless someone with no concept of their abilities. Mar'i was essentially a blank slate. But if he could help the four teenagers on his team, he knew he could help her. When the Titans first originated they needed help. They r_eally_ needed help

Beast Boy, though he had been a member of the Doom Patrol prior, still needed a bit of fine-tuning. He would erratically shapeshift from an elephant to a cockatoo or some other small bird or rodent which typically resulted in a pulled muscle or sprain. Raven was afraid of unleashing all unholy hell on everything and everyone and it took Cyborg several months to figure out all the gadgets that had been installed into his cybernetic body. And for Starfire, combat was no issue, it was, of course, it was understanding that not everything was taken literally, especially when he was giving instructions during battle. Robin admitted they were still working on that but in the six years she had been on earth, she had gotten much better with time and with time and... practice. His mind replayed her saying for what had to be the millionth time since their night on the beach.

He internally scolded himself and attempted to focus on the bench press machine. He adjusted the weights absentmindedly trying to drown out the sound of her voice in his head. It was distracting. It was distracting in the _best_ way. But it wasn't a distraction he could afford right now. But then again, was it something he could ever afford? He had to admit that if they weren't heroes... they could "practice" all they wanted.

"Stop it." He said this time out loud as he let go of the weights.

_Will you help me to practice?_

"Stop!"

He looked to his feet and saw a basketball next to him which he swiftly picked up and chucked across the room as hard as he could. He had to get her out of his head.

"That was the worst free-throw I have ever seen."

Robin pivoted toward the door and saw Mar'i standing there wide-eyed. Apparently, he sounded more frustrated than he thought he was.

"Just blowing off some steam," He lied, and Robin could tell by the look on Mar'i's face that she knew it too. Thankfully, she didn't pry almost as if she had this instinct not to. Why did she look like she knew something he didn't? _Focus Robin._

"So..." She began, bringing him back to the moment at hand. "Should I stretch or something?"

"Wouldn't hurt," He answered. "You need to get your muscles warm. I can help." He started to walk over to help but Mar'i quickly held her hand up.

"It's okay. I got this."

"What?"

"I can stretch myself."

With that Mar'i rolled her shoulders, then neck and cracked her knuckles. Taking a deep breath and performed a backbend walkover. She landed gracefully upright on her feet. Robin blinked under his mask.

"Gotta say I wasn't expecting that."

Mar'i shrugged her shoulders. "I'm a gymnast." She explained as she sat down on the floor. "Well, _was_ anyway." She stretched her legs in front of her and bent her chest to her knees.

"With that flexibility, I'd say you still are." Robin crossed his arms.

"I don't compete anymore." She sat back up and seamlessly moved into a split and brought her back leg up for a quad stretch. "Stopped to focus on school."

"So, you haven't forgotten_ everything_."

She seemed to freeze momentarily then adjusted so she could stretch her other leg. "I started gymnastics when I was pretty young. It's not something you forget. Even with a knock to the head."

"I suppose that's fair," Robin answered as he checked the time again on his communicator. 9:00.

"Ready to get started?"

Mar'i stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"Do I have a choice?"

* * *

Even when she trained for her gymnastics meets, Mar'i was positive she had never sweated so much in her life. Robin had her do 3 sets of 10 burpees to get her heart rate up and had her run 2 laps around the gym. And as if he was trying to make her feel more out of shape, Robin did the burpees and the laps with her seemingly without breaking a sweat. As strange as it was (and it was super strange) to be working out with her sixteen-year-old father, it was kind of.. fun? Did he do this every day? Why was he so good at this? Did Batman teach him? Is this how he trained the rest of the team? The questions continued to stream through her head.

"Didn't know you were such an athlete." She huffed at the end of their second lap.

"Well, to be fair, you _don't_ know me," Robin answered, frankly as he jogged over to the punching bag in the corner of the gym.

"Little do you know." She said to herself trying to regulate her breathing.

"Come on, let's keep working." he gestured to the bag and Mar'i begrudgingly dragged her feet over to meet him. Robin showed her how to properly punch without breaking her wrists but for the most part, encouraged her to give it all she had.

"We'll perfect your technique later," He informed her. "I'm just trying to gain an assessment of what you can do already."

"So," She breathed. "You want me to beat the heck out of this bag?"

"Exactly," Robin affirmed

"Easy enough."

Mar'i quickly learned it was _not_ easy.

They commenced a 10-minute punching bag workout which tired her quicker than she had expected. Who knew throwing all your energy into a bag could do that to you? After the punching bag, Mar'i bent over hands on knees to catch her breath again.

"I'm dying. How do you do this every day?"

"If its any consolation, you're doing much better than Beast Boy did on his first day, and he can turn into a cheetah." Robin mustered a laugh as he walked over to the bench on the sidelines and handed her a towel to wipe her face. Mar'i took the towel gratefully.

"I'm not that fast."Mar'i plopped down on the floor and wiped her face.

"No, but you're vo2 max is much better than his." He handed her a water bottle which she also took eagerly.

"So, are you planning to kick my butt now that I'm down?"

Robin shook his head.

"I'll save that for another day." He offered her a hand to help her up and when Mar'i took it she saw he was smiling. A genuine smile that caused her to pause. For that brief moment, she saw a glimmer of her Dad in him. There was still so much she wanted to know. Was the Dick Grayson she knew really the same person as this Robin? Why was he so serious all the time? Did he ever take that silly mask off? She took his hand and he helped her to her feet.

"There's more to it than throwing punches," He continued matter of factly seemingly not having the same visceral reaction. "We're going to work on building up your endurance. You can't take 10 in an actual fight. Speaking of which, you look awful. Let's take 10 now."

"Gee thanks. And already on it." Mar'i sat down on a bench off to the side to catch her breath and Robin took a seat next to her. Mar'i was sure this might have been the first moment she heard him trying to regulate his breathing.

"Recover as best as you can then I can show you a few combos. Starfire should be here in a few minutes too."

"I thought she was going to work with me the next hour."

"She is," Robin affirmed. "I thought it might be good to have her here if you needed to see an example. Sometimes things click faster if you watch a combination a few times." He cleared his throat and took a sip of his water.

"Right." Mar'i said and she started to feel herself breath normally again. "So, do you two practice together a lot?"

Robin promptly spat out a copious amount of water in surprise and Mar'i lept off the bench to avoid being sprayed.

"Sorry!" He apologized wiping his mouth.

"What did I say?" Mar'i questioned in confusion.

"Nothing. It's nothing." He ran his fingers through his hair and regained his composure as best as he could. And with she could feel him start to shut down and she didn't know why. The glimmer of Dick Grayson was gone in an instant and it was only Robin. Mar'i sat back down cautiously. He was frazzled and was he blushing? He stood up from the bench and attempted to swallow another cough when Starfire walked into the gym. Robin's face turn an even deeper shade of pink when she entered.

_Oh._ She thought. _That makes sense. _

"Good morning, friends!" Starfire chimed as he approached the bench and asked Robin "I trust the first hour of training has gone well?"

Robin seemed to be searching for words and tried to speak but nothing came out. Starfire stared at him puzzled.

_Oh Dad, no..._

Mar'i was starting to feel embarrassed for him. She couldn't let him crash and burn like this.

"He's kicking my butt if that's what you mean." Mar'i interjected trying to cover up Robin's obvious embarrassment. Robin who had been holding his breath breathed a sigh of relief to himself. Starfire returned a sweet, but knowing smile.

"Yes, he is quite good at that."

"Okay," Robin clapped his hands together attempting to divert the conversation. His face started to look a little less pink. "Let's move on." He directed his attention to Starfire. "Let's show her some basic self-defense."

Robin directed them to the middle of the gym and the three worked on some simple moves. Mar'i learned the hammer strike and how to use her elbows. If her attacker was male, going for the groin was completely acceptable. Robin, of course, didn't feel it necessary to practice that. Starfire practiced the moves with her and she had to say she was thankful she did. She felt less stupid and Robin was right, it was helpful to have someone else to watch and Robin was able to adjust Mar'i's stance and positioning as needed.

"Okay, now if someone comes up and grabs you from behind," Robin explained. "You'll want to focus on getting low and create a space for yourself."

"Uh..." Mar'i scratched her head. "Example?"

"Hmm..." Robin thought for a moment then looked to Starfire. He moved behind Starfire and placed his arms around her waist in a bear hug. Starfire's face flushed slightly. Mar'i deduced that while this was common for her parents, this physical contact was not the norm for Robin and Starfire. She couldn't help but wonder if he ever touched her when they weren't training, or if this was his one excuse where it was acceptable. Seeing her parents as heroes was strange, but seeing them awkwardly trying to fumble through adolescence was probably stranger. Mar'i didn't have time to ponder this much longer as the sweet moment didn't last.

"Promise not to hurt me?" He asked her.

"I will do my best."

Starfire quickly crouched down and nailed Robin in the head with her elbow. The two struggled until Starfire was able to free a hand and promptly grabbed Robin by the back of his head and thew him to the ground. Robin let out an "oof" upon hitting the floor and Starfire, once free from his grip immediately picked him up. Mar'i was horrified. Cyborg was right, Starfire _literally_ could snap her in half.

"Oh Robin, did I injure you?!"

"I'm good." He assured her as he dusted himself off. "Mar'i, do you want to give it a try?"

"With her? I'm good." The turned to Starfire. "Thanks for not killing me yesterday."

"I welcome you." Starfire beamed and she pulled out the communicator to check the time. "It is 10 o'clock!" She turned the device for Robin and Mar'i to see. "I believe it is now my hour with Mar'i." She looked at Robin. "May I take from here?"

"She's all yours," Robin said gesturing to her.

"Perfect," She replied. "You may leave."

Robin shifted uneasily. "You want me to leave?"

"Yes."

"But Starfire-"

"You have done enough, Robin. I am certain you require some much-needed rest."

Robin opened his mouth to argue but decided against it.

"Okay, but I don't want a repeat of yesterday. Call me or any of the others if you need us."

Starfire said she would and Robin left the gym leaving the smiling Tameranean and an uncertain Mar'i.

* * *

Starfire watched the door to make sure Robin was gone then sat down on the gym floor cross-legged.

"Let's begin." She patted the floor in front of her gesturing for Mar'i to sit. Mar'i sat down in front of her so the two were facing one another. Mar'i started to feel her anxiety rise. This was the part of the training she was most unsure of.

"You are anxious." Starfire said matter-of-factly but empathetically.

"I guess..." Mar'i began. "I don't know what happened yesterday. I don't know what to expect."

"Nor should you," Starfire took Mar'i right hand in her's. "Tameranean powers are controlled by one's emotions. Though I am not sure what you were feeling, it was an emotion powerful enough to exude the great energy that is inside of yourself." Starfire took her free hand and produced a star bolt. "Now that we know you possess this energy, it is now our task to learn how to control and harness it for good. Tell, me what were you feeling yesterday."

Mar'i watched the green light dance in Starfire's hand as she thought back to the previous day. She was feeling a lot of emotions. She was stuck in the past for crying out loud. But as she remembered the moment with Red X in the basement, she remembered she felt,

"Angry. I was angry. I couldn't allow Red X to keep hurting everyone."

"Excellent," Starfire seemed satisfied. "That is a common response to injustice. I experience it myself when we are in battle."

"But, you're not angry now." Mar'i said still watching the starbolt. "How are you doing that not if you're so calm?"

"That leads to our first lesson," Starfire explained and held Mar'i's hand up. "It all starts with joy."

"Joy?" Mar'i repeated, unconvinced.

"Indeed, It is the foundation that fuels our power. What is something that brings you joy?"

Mar'i wasn't sure where Starfire was going with this but she did her best to think of something that brought her joy.

"I guess, gymnastics?"

"Good!" Starfire encouraged her. "Anything else?"

"Solving a difficult chemistry problem I suppose? That's the last thing I remember doing before I- before I ended up here."

"Why Chemistry?" Starfire asked. "I am told most earth students disagree with you."

"You're not wrong." Mar'i agreed with her. "But I want to be a forensic scientist when I'm older. I want to help to solve crimes, so I have to be really good at it. And, I _am_ good at it."

"Hmm." Starfire was thoughtful. "I am still new to understanding earthly occupations. What is a forensic scientist?"

"They analyze physical evidence from a crime scene." Mar'i felt herself getting excited as she explained. "I'm from Goth- I'm from a place that sees a lot of crime. I want to make sure the people who commit those crimes don't get away with it ever again."

"You sound like Robin," Starfire said and smiled to herself.

Without warning a green light quickly shot from Mar'i's hand that Starfire was still holding. It came as quickly as it went, but it was there. Starfire put out her own starbolt. Mar'i lept to her feet and grabbed her hand in disbelief. She looked at Starfire with wide eyes.

"What was... Did I- Did that come from me?"

Starfire nodded.

"But, how?!"

"You find joy in helping people. It is a joy that fuels our power at the core, and anything else we feel is just another layer. Yesterday, you felt a righteous fury because people you cared for were being attacked. This is wonderful, Mar'i! You have already made such progress."

Starfire gave her a bone-crushing hug.

"I feel like I haven't done anything." Mar'i protested sincerely.

"You would be surprised. Come, it has not yet reached the hour. Let's keep practicing!"

The two sat down again and continued to think of joyful things. The spark in Mar'i's hand would flicker on and off occasionally as they would name them one by one until the hour was up. And with that, the lesson was over.

"Well done!" Starfire concluded their lesson and helped Mar'i stand up. "I believe it is time for lunch. Would you like to accompany me?" Mar'i felt like she couldn't move she was still in awe of the last hour.

"Maybe in a bit..." She said.

"Very well, you can find me in the common room if you need anything." Starfire turned to leave but Mar'i stopped her.

"Starfire... what brings you joy?"

Starfire looked at her. A huge smile spread across her face.

"Many things. But today, it was spending time with you."


	13. Chapter 13

Mar'i leaned her head against the shower wall and let the hot water pour over her. It had been a while since she had a decent workout so say her muscles were aching was an understatement. She continued to stare at her hands that had just a little while ago produced energy she had never experienced before. The session with Starfire had been surreal. Sure, it was only a small spark. (Literally) But at the same time, it was like a fire had been ignited in her. It was scary, but she was also curious to know what else, Starfire could teach her. She concluded that she really owed her mom and apology when she returned home.

If she ever made it home.

After washing her hair and face, she shut the water off, grabbed a towel on the rack and wrapped it around herself. It was when she entered the bedroom that she realized her clothes were missing. Wait.

_The picture._

It was still in the back pocket of her jeans! She peeled back the bedsheets and frantically looked under the bed. She ran back to the bathroom. Nothing. Then it hit her... Starfire probably took them to wash!

"SHOOT!"

She hastily dressed in the unworn grey pajama t-shirt top and bottoms that were still laying on the bed from the previous evening and did her best to squeeze the remaining water out of her wet hair with the towel. She didn't know where the laundry room was, but she'd find it. She had to. She ran toward the bedroom door and pressed the button multiple times to open the sliding doors. When the doors opened, Raven was standing outside with a moderate expression of agitation

"Looking for this?" Raven held up the photo.

And just like that, Mar'i felt she could breathe again.

"Oh, Raven. Thank you." She reached for the photo, but Raven snatched it away out of reach.

"It'll be safer with me. You're lucky I stopped by to make sure you had your communicator before Starfire came though. You need to be more careful."

Mar'i wanted to argue with her but she knew Raven was right.

"Well, thank you..." Mar'i looked down. "Any other reason you're here other than to yell at me?"

Raven stowed the photo somewhere inside her cape and crossed her arms.

"I'm not-" Raven looked at the floor briefly then back to Mar'i. "I'm not... mad at you, ya know? I'm just as scared as you are about all of this."

"Could have fooled me." Mar'i gave a weak laugh. "I feel like I'm just constantly pissing you off. "

Mar'i noticed Raven's face softened. Raven unfurrowed her brow and leaned against the doorframe, arms still crossed.

"You know how Starfire's powers are controlled by her emotions? I'm assuming you learned that today."

"Sure, but what's that have to do with anything?"

"My powers are also controlled by emotion," Raven explained. "If I get overly emotional it could be fatal for my friends... for you. It's easier for me to stay neutral instead of getting worked up one way or another. But sometimes, the stress gets to me and... it's a little more difficult." Raven looked away but continued talking. "Whether you believe me or not, I do care about you."

Mar'i felt her own frustration leave her.

"Maybe you should stay stuff like that more often." Mar'i suggested.

Raven gave a small snort. "Sounds like something Starfire would say."

"Well, I do share her DNA." Mar'i shrugged. Okay, so Raven was a big softie. Maybe they could get along after all. "Seriously, you saved my tail. Can I hug you?"

"Don't push it." Raven's voice was level again. "However, I _am_ here to give you an update," She changed the subject. "The bad news is, we still haven't found the clock. The three of us did a thorough search in the tower today. It's not in any of our secure rooms or Robin's room, I even had Beast Boy go underground and he found nothing. All that to say, we're certain it's hidden somewhere off-site."

"And you have no idea where?" Mar'i guessed.

"Zero."

Mar'i rubbed her forehead. "Please tell me there's good news."

"Surprisingly, yes." Raven asserted. "We got ahold of X"

Mar'i's eyes widened. She grabbed Raven by the shoulders causing Raven to let out an "aack!" and pulled her into the room. She shut the doors behind them.

"Tell me everything!" She pressed Raven.

"Calm down," Raven shook free from Mar'i's grip. "Cyborg tracked him down. Don't ask me how, but he did. The point is, he's willing to talk. He wants to meet with us."

Mar'i blinked.

"Talk? _MEET_?!" Mar'i yelled flabberghasted. "You didn't put him in jail?! Or wipe his memory or something?! You're telling me Cyborg doesn't have some sort of setting for that?!"

"Look, you've been here for 72 hours, but we've been trying to get this guy for the last four years. This is huge."

"Raven, he knows who I am! We gotta get rid of him!"

Raven stepped back and put her hands on her hips.

"We're heroes. Not hitmen."

Mar'i brought both her hands to her head that felt like it was spinning.

"I guess, help me understand then," Mari closed her eyes. "He broke into your house, kicked our butts, and now he wants to have _a conversation?!"_

"I know, he's not normal," Raven agreed. "But we have to take what we can get. Cyborg, Beast Boy and I are going to meet him at an undisclosed location tonight. He wants you to come too."

Mar'i shook her head in defiance and threw her hands down.

"What? There's no way, I'm talking to that son-of-a-"

"You're coming with us," Raven cut her off. "Meet us in my room at 1:00 am."

"He cut me with a shuriken!" Mar'i pointed to her face although the scar was barely visible. Raven was unvexed.

"You'll be fine. We've got you this far haven't we?"

Mar'i walked over to the bed and slumped over exasperated. She wanted to keep arguing but knew she had no other options at this point.

"Fine." She agreed begrudgingly. "But what about Robin and Starfire? Are they coming too?"

Raven shook her head. "Robin still thinks we got nothing. And they're off tonight."

"What do you mean 'off?'" Mar'i asked.

"We all get one night off a week from evening patrol unless there's a dire emergency. Unlike the rest of us, they sometimes take their one night off together."

"But what if they stop by my room? They'll freak if I'm not here!"

"Please." Raven rolled her eyes. "If I know them, they'll be in Robin's room all night."

"Ew." Mar'i shuddered in disgust.

"Get your head out of the gutter." Raven scolded her. "Robin always has a ton of paperwork to complete in the evenings. He usually takes it to his room with him and she likes to help with it. I have to imagine he likes the company too."

"That's not a night off at all." Mar'i said.

"Well, have you met your father?" Raven scoffed.

"My dad is a little more relaxed than that." Mar'i said quietly thinking about the last time she saw him. She was starting to miss him.

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Hm. Glad to know he's lightened up over the years. Anyway, 1:00 am. My room. Be there." Raven turned to leave but stopped and looked at Mar'i's attire. "Maybe you should consider getting a couple more outfits? Who knows how long you'll actually be here and those pajamas look ridiculous on you."

"You realize you're the one wearing a leotard, right?" Mar'i rested her head in her hands. Raven was unfazed by the remark.

"Maybe have your mom take you shopping sometime. She likes the mall." Mar'i could have sworn she saw a small smile on Raven's face but the empath left her before she could verify otherwise."

* * *

After her discussion with Raven, Mar'i made her way to the common room. Her stomach rumbled down the hall which made sense considering she hadn't eaten anything except Cyborg's eggs that morning. Upon entering the common room, she saw Beast Boy sitting at the kitchen island eating a bowl of cereal. Cyborg was sitting on the couch with his left cybernetic arm on the coffee table and a screwdriver in his other hand tightening some screws. Robin was on the other end of the sofa reading the newspaper seemingly oblivious to the noise going on around him. Mar'i wondered how many other teenagers his age read the paper. She assumed not very many.

"Hey, Mar'i!" Beast Boy called to her. "I ran into Starfire in the hallway and she told me about this morning. Apparently, you have a very _sparkly_ personality! Beast Boy cackled at his own joke which only caused Cyborg to shake his head. Robin rolled his eyes and flipped the paper to the local crime section.

"Ha ha." Mar'i said. "Something tells me I shouldn't indulge your poor sense of humor." She walked over and sat down next to him at the counter and smirked.

"Quick learner!" Cyborg laughed as he finished up the last screw in his arm. He promptly reattached it and stood up. "I like you, Mar'i. Need some lunch?"

Mar'i's stomach growled on cue

"Desperately."

"Me too. You like chicken salad?"

"Love it." Mar'i smiled.

"I got you, girl. Coming right up!"

As Cyborg started to work his magic in the kitchen, Beast Boy scooted over to Mar'i and whispered, "So really, how was your morning? You doing okay?"

"Considering the situation," She answered. "I'm doing pretty good. But it's still weird."

"Dude, I can't even imagine." Beast Boy took a huge bite of his cereal. "Well, Starfire had a really good time with you. But Boy Wonder over here," Beast Boy signaled by jerking his head in Robin's direction. "He hasn't said a thing. How was it?"

"Honestly," Mar'i said as she thought back to the morning. "I had fun."

Beast Boy put his spoon down and gave her a sympathetic smile. "You know you don't have to say that just because he's your dad, right?"

"No, I'm serious!" She whispered back. "I mean, yeah, he totally kicked my butt, but I had a great time. And... I think he might have too."

"I don't know about that. Sometimes, I don't even know if Robin can do fun." Beast Boy continued chewing his food. "But he is a good teacher. He definitely whipped us into shape a few years ago."

"You guys needed it too," Robin said as he threw the newspaper down on the kitchen island and took a seat on the other side of Beast Boy. "You guys are terrible whisperers."

Mar'i and Beast Boy looked at each other in panic. Cyborg paused from his activities in the kitchen.

"Oh yeah," Beast Boy attempted to cover up. "If we're so bad at it, what else did you hear?"

Robin turned to the center of the newspaper over to read at the feature article. "That I hadn't said a thing about this morning's session and that I apparently can't have fun." He scanned the story in front of him.

"And that's it?" Beast Boy asked again.

"Unless there's something else about me you would rather gossip about behind my back." Robin continued to read.

"Well, shoot I guess you got us!" Beast Boy laughed. "You're right, Robin we totally suck."

Robin shook his head without lifting his eyes from the page. Beast Boy gave Mar'i a wink and offered her a fist bump to which she declined with a groan. Cyborg set a plate of chicken salad in front of her and gave Beast Boy a look that as if to say, "you got lucky this time." Mar'i had just taken a bite of her food when the doors to the common room opened and Starfire entered with Mar'i's clothes in hand. She approached the counter with a smile.

"Oh, is this the salad of chicken!" Starfire beamed when she saw Mar'i's plate.

"Sure is!" Cyborg put a plate in from of Starfire. "You want some?"

"I thank you, but no. I hade some glofnack and zorkaberries earlier and am quite full. Perhaps later?"

"I'll save you a plate." Cyborg wrapped the plate in cellophane and placed it in the fridge for her. Starfire placed Mar'is clothes on the counter for her.

"I was on my way to deliver these to your room, but I might as well give them you now."

Mar'i paused mid-bite and looked at the drab pajamas she forgot she was still wearing. Raven was right. She needed a few more outfits to cycle through and she had plenty of time to kill before meeting in Raven's room. She set down her fork and turned to Starfire.

"So, I don't know how long I'll be here. And as much as I love sporting grey on grey, would it be possible for me to get a couple of outfits? That way you don't have to wash my clothes every night. Maybe..." Mar'i closed her eyes. She couldn't believe she was about to ask. "Maybe we could go to the mall together?"

Beast Boy gulped down his cereal nervously, Robin looked up from his reading, and Cyborg dropped the mayonnaise jar in his hand. Starfire, on the other hand, beamed with pure joy.

"Oh, Mar'i ABSOLUTELY!" She grabbed Mar'i's arm. "We shall go _immediately_! And I saw that the mattress store was having a sale on twin beds. I have never slept on a twin bed. In fact, I had never slept on a bed until I came to this planet. Once I slept on a klob klob bush and-"

Starfire continued to recount her experiences with mattresses as Mar'i turned to the boys in panic.

"Raven just said she liked the mall. I didn't realize she was crazy!"

"Yes, Mar'i. I am afraid you have made a terrible error," Cyborg said giving her a somber look. "And it is one we cannot save you from."

"Good luck." Beast Boy whispered to her.

Mar'i then looked to Robin. Surely, he could help her, right? Maybe some father-daughter intuition that didn't realize he had? Anything?

"_Please_." She mouthed to him.

Robin merely looked to her and shrugged his shoulders.

_Thanks a lot, Dad._

"Ya know, Starfire," Mar'i stopped her in the hopes she could save herself. "I was thinking about maybe about going in an hour or so?" Mar'i stared longingly at her plate of food.

"Of course not!" Starfire stood up. "You need clothing! Let us make with the haste!" Before Mar'i could protest again, Starfire grabbed her by the arm and flew out of the room with her."

"Wait, you can actually fly?!" Mar'i yelled as the door closed behind them.

The boys sat in silence for a brief moment until Robin flipped the newspaper over to the classified section.

"Hm. She was right. There is a mattress sale."

* * *

The trip to get to the mall was terrifying. Partially due to the surprise of learning Starfire could really fly and partially because she was being dangled several hundred feet in the air. Mar'i thought back to the night she first met them in the infirmary. She remembered seeing Starfire fly over to introduce herself, but since Raven had just healed a concussion Mar'i assumed that she was just seeing things. Apparently, she wasn't.

"Am I gonna die?!" Mar'i yelled up to her.

"Of course not!" Starfire replied. "This is much faster than taking the public transportation. We will work on the basics of flight soon in our training."

"Joy..." Mar'i said and she started to feel nauseous. Thankfully, Starfire descended carefully toward the ground and landed outside the entrance of the Jump City Mall. Mar'i ran to a nearby water fountain and drank some water to calm her stomach.

"I'm supposed to be able to do that too?" Mar'i asked her wiping some water from her mouth.

"I hope that you can," Starfire replied. "Like your starbolts, it will take some practice."

"Remind me to have some ginger ale on hand." Mar'i said between taking a couple of deep breaths to keep from puking. Starfire smiled sympathetically and the two entered the mall once Mar'i felt she hand her land legs again.

The mall was busy which was a bit of a shock to Mar'i. Where she was from, there were on a few malls still open, and the ones that were only had a few stores still in operation. There teenagers sitting in the food courts texting on flip phones. Parents were leading their small children by the hand assuring them there was no need to go to the toy store today. Everything was bright and lively. Everything the Gotham City Mall was not which only contained a single pretzel stand and a movie theater.

"Glorious isn't it?" Starfire said taking it all in. "My planet does not have such a place. I always find the most interesting things when I come here." Starfire pointed to the first clothing store on their left whose window was decked out with babydoll dresses and bellbottom jeans. "Do you wish to start here?"

Mar'i studied the clothes. Everything was incredibly dated, but she looked down at her pajamas and figured nothing could look as bad as what she was already wearing.

"I can probably find something."

Mar'i browsed through the t-shirts and was thankful she was able to find a few plain colored shirts that didn't have obnoxious graphics. Starfire walked casually around the store touching the material on each of the dresses and curiously holding up the high heels wondering how anyone could comfortably walk in them. Once Mar'i grabbed a couple of long sleeve tees and a couple of short-sleeved, she found herself in the jeans looking for her size which was always tricky. Being 5"5' was awkward sometimes. She was too tall to wear petite sizing, but too short for longer lengths, but sometimes the standard length didn't fit right either. She groaned inwardly knowing she would have to try a few pairs. Amidst digging through a pile of low rises and flared legs, she was able to find at least 3 pairs of skinny jeans to try.

In 2032, Mar'i and Kori never shopped together. Not because they disagreed on style, but because Mar'i hated shopping and only did so out of necessity. Kori, on the other hand, loved to window shop and could spend all day in a department store. Now she understood why after the events of that morning. And though 2032 Mar'i would never consider asking Kori to come to the dressing room with her, she assumed a second opinion from Starfire wouldn't hurt. She found Starfire by the purses on her way there

"I'm going to try these on. Want to help me make sure I don't look ridiculous?"

"I can certainly try." Starfire agreed as they started to walk toward the rooms. "Although, I may not be the best person to ask about Earth fashion. I have never worn civilian clothing."

Mar'i stopped in her tracks outside the dressing room door and looked at her in disbelief.

"You've never worn regular clothes?"

Starfire shook her head. "Aside from the proper undergarments, and on one other occasion, no."

Mar'i looked at the three pairs of jeans in her hands then looked back to Starfire, handing her the longer length pair of the three.

"I'd say we're about the same size. Give these a try."

Starfire looked stunned. "Truly? And how do you know they will fit?"

Mar'i knew they would. She and Kori shared multiple items of clothes over the years.

"I have a feeling. Also, try one of these for fun." She handed her one of the long-sleeved tees, a pale purple one, and walked into the dressing room. Starfire practically skipped into the adjacent room to try the clothes on. Mar'i found the regular length jeans fit her great and she tried on a maroon short-sleeved t-shirt. It was nice to look decent again. She stepped out of the fitting room and knocked on Starfire's door.

"Want to compare?" Mar'i called to her over the dressing door.

"Um... I suppose."

Starfire's door opened and she stepped out in the jeans and shirt Mar'i gave her. She was smiling, but she seemed uneasy. Mar'i couldn't understand why because she was stunning. The jeans hugged all the right parts of her hips and the shirt was form-fitting, but not too tight.

"What's up?" Mar'i asked her. "You look great."

"Thank you," Starfire said. She rubbed the front of her shirt with her hands and then turned to the mirror to her left to study her appearance. "It is just... different, but... I do like it." She smiled at Mar'i in the mirror. "I like that shirt you have chosen too."

"Thanks!" Mar'i joined her in front of the mirror. "It's my favorite color." She ran her fingers through her hair and the two looked at themselves in the mirror. In the few seconds, Mar'i realized the moment was unprecedented. She felt herself getting emotional looking at her young mom seeing herself in a new outfit for the first time. She wondered what it was like to have lived on a planet for six years and yet still feel completely out of place. Something about it made Mar'is heart sink and for some reason, her eyes started to get glossy. Starfire noticed too.

"Mar'i, are you alright?"

Mar'i cleared her throat and wiped away a tear that had not yet escaped. "Yeah, just too much perfume in this place." She lied and walked back towards her fitting room, took a couple of deep breaths, then started to change clothes. Starfire took one last glance in the mirror then returned to her room too. Mar'i changed out of the shirt and back into the pajama shirt she came in when something Starfire had said hit her.

"Starfire?"

"Yes?" Her voice traveled over the dressing room wall.

"You said, you wore regular clothes on one other occasion. When was that?" Mar'i asked as she put her left leg into the pajama pants.

"A few years ago." She answered. "I wore what you would call a prom dress."

Mar'i frowned, finished gathering herself and the clothes, and exited the fitting room. Starfire also exited with her clothes in hand.

"You wore a prom dress before you tried on pants?" Mar'i asked her.

"Indeed," Starfire affirmed. "Robin had to go. I went in case he required saving."

"What would you be saving him from? It's just a dance." Mar'i laughed.

"His evil, hideous date who's father was a moth man and her significant other who had an arachnid for a head," Starfire said casually looking at the price tag of the clothes in her hands.

Mar'i blinked. And she thought Gotham was messed up.

"We should pay for these," Starfire stated and started walking to the register. _Oh right._ Mar'i remembered. _Money_. She didn't even think about that.

"Jump City gives us a monthly stipend for our service," Starfire explained as if reading Mar'i mind. She took Mar'i's clothes from her and placed them in front of the cashier along with the jeans Mar'i let her try on. "However, Wayne Enterprises is our primary benefactor. Mr. Wayne has been quite generous to our team." Starfire reached in some hidden pocket of her skirt and pulled out a debit card and smiled as she handed it to the cashier.

"Bruce Wayne?" Mar'i thoughts flashed back to the photo in her Dad's desk drawer. "But he's in Gotham. On the complete opposite side of the country. I guess, I'm glad he's helping you guys but I don't get it."

"Me either," Starfire said nonchalantly as she took the receipt from the cashier. "But I am most thankful. Robin says Mr. Wayne had enough money to spare anyway."

"Do they know each other?" Mar'i asked trying to vie for answers

"Something like that." Starfire turned and started to walk out of the store as Mar'i continued to try and put two and two together. She shook her head and decided she would worry about that later. Before leaving the mall, Mar'i insisted Starfire purchase some anti-nausea medicine for the flight home which she agreed. Once Mar'i was medicated, Starfire grabbed her hand and flew them home mostly in silence which made Mar'i feel uneasy as Starfire had been quite bubbly the entire trip. When they landed on the room of the roof of the tower.

"I believe I will rest for a while," Starfire said once they landed on the tower roof. "I want to ensure I will be awake to assist Robin with paperwork tonight. It is quite tedious. Do you need assistance in finding your room from here?"

Mar'i shook her head. "No, I think I can I'll be okay."

Starfire who was still holding the bag of clothing reached in and pulled out the jeans she had tried on in the store and handed Mar'i the rest of her clothes. Mar'i took them but pulled out the purple long sleeve shirt she had let Starfire try. She looked at it briefly then handed it back to her to which Starfire gave her a puzzled look.

"You should keep this too. That way you can have a full outfit." Mar'i said.

"Thank you, Mar'i." Starfire said quietly, looking at the articles of clothing in her hand.

"Are you... okay?" Mar'i asked hesitantly.

Starfire looked up at her. "I hope your memories return to you soon, but I will be sad when you have to leave us. It was nice to feel... 'normal' with you today."

Mar'i felt her a lump rise in her throat which she forced down. "I had a good time with you too. We'll have to do it again."

"Absolutely!" Some of Starfire's signature joy seemed to surface again.

"One more thing," Mar'i said before Starfire could leave. How did Robin look in his suit?"

"Pardon?" Starfire looked at her confused.

"At prom. He must have worn a suit. How did he look?"

It took Starfire's a moment to comprehend the question but once she did, her face flushed. However, she answered with a small smile, "Most handsome."

Mar'i nodded knowingly. "I'm sure he thought you were beautiful."

Starfire gave her another small smile. "That is kind of you to say. I am going to go retire for a while. I will see you later."

Mar'i said goodbye and checked her communicator for the time which read 3:00 pm. Only 9 more hours of pseudo-normalcy until she had to meet in Raven and the boys. She made her way back to her room where she changed into her new jeans and the maroon shirt she had purchased and laid down on her bed. Her eyes started to feel heavy. Now she knew why the other Titans didn't go shopping with Starfire, it was an all-day affair. Before she knew it she was asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Titans Tower; 8:00 pm that night; 2006**

Robin sat on the couch hunched over the coffee table and flipped through the stack of manila folders in front of him. Jump City PD was asking for their latest information on Dr. Light and Plasmas along with a few other villans they had captured the last few weeks. This meant he had to type up a couple of legal reports and fill out some other forms to submit to the station tomorrow. He looked over to the folder off to the left which was separate from the rest of the stack.

_Mar'i's file._

He opened it and looked at the notes he had written down when he questioned her the other day.

**Name:** _Mary Griswold _

"Mary" was crossed out and replaced with the correct spelling, "Mar'i'. He continued to note the unusual spelling but parents these days were finding all sorts of ways to make their kids' names unique. Despite his personal thoughts, he still didn't think that was her actual name - at least not her last name. He continued reading the following notes which listed standard information.

**Age:** _16_

**Occupation:**_ Student_

**High school: **_N/A, claimed she attended JCH, but this was determined to be false._

**Grade:** _10 ?, was working on Chemistry homework before finding herself in the Tower. No short term memory otherwise. _

Robin then wrote down the most recent information they had learned in the past few days.

**Race:**_ Tameranean _

**Misc.:**_ Trained gymnast_

It still was limited information on the person sleeping just down the hall from him and his team, but he would work with what he had. He made a mental note to call the local gymnastic studios tomorrow to see if they had her name in their system. He closed her file and moved back to the other two stacks in front of him when Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven all entered the common room. Robin grabbed the folders from the coffee table and walked over to the kitchen island.

"You guys heading out?" He asked setting the folders on the counter.

"Yeah man," Cyborg said. "We'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Don't party too hard while we're gone." Beast Boy snickered as he grabbed an apple from the counter to take with him. "I know those legal reports are wild!" He said "wild" in a sing-songy voice.

"Make me the fun of me all you want." Robin gave Beast Boy a look. "But I can always leave a couple for you to complete. Remember that time, you and Raven offered to take them for me?"

Beast Boy shuddered. "Yeah, I thought she was going to kill me."

"You fell asleep two reports in and I had to do the rest by myself," Raven said with an edge of bitterness as she poured some herbal tea into a Thermos. "It took me hours."

"I told you I was sorry!" Beast Boy cried. "But it was _soooo_ boring."

Raven placed the top on her Thermos and looked to Robin. She shook her head and said, "Never again." to which Robin couldn't help but laugh to himself.

"Beastie does have a point though," Cyborg said. "I don't know how you and Starfire always knock 'em out in a night."

"We work well together, I guess." He said straightening the papers. "Speaking of which, have you seen her? She offered to help me tonight."

"Pretty sure she's in her room," Raven said. "I think she and Mar'i had a full day at the mall."

"Can't wait to hear how that went." Robin shook his head and picked up the folders. "Oh well, at least it wasn't me."

"You've done your time for sure, man." Cyborg agreed as he checked the watch in his arm. "Alright. BB. Rae. Let's get going."

"Call if something happens," Robin said as they started to leave. "And if you find anything on Red X-"

"We know, we know." Beast Boy said waving his hand dismissively. "We'll let you know ASAP. Seriously, dude, we got this. Just take it easy tonight."

Robin shut his mouth. As much as he wanted to be involved in every patrol, he knew his team could handle it.

Raven patted his shoulder as she walked by. "Enjoy your evening. And don't work too hard."

After the doors closed behind them he left for Starfire's room with the folders in hand. Once he reached her door, he knocked and waited. He noted how odd it felt being on this side of the door. Usually, she was the one waiting outside his room for something. Either to ask a question or merely just to check to see if he was doing okay. The door opened and Starfire greeted him happily.

"Hello, Robin. Are we to commence the paperwork?"

He smiled and held up one of the folders. "Let's get started."

The two of them walked to his room down the hall and hunkered down at his desk as they did many times before. Robin opened his laptop and began typing away while Starfire, with a pen in hand, filling out any other necessary documents to be submitted to Jump City PD. Around an hour and a half in, they were surprised to find the completed their work in record time and the only remaining work was to seal them in envelopes to be mailed.

"Well done," Robin congratulated her with a grin as he put a file in the large mailing envelope. "I'd say this calls for a celebration."

"A celebration? We merely completed the paperwork." Starfire questioned as she sealed the envelope in her hand.

He bent down to the bottom drawer of his desk and started digging.

"Why in X'hal's name are you doing?" Starfire mused as she sealed the last folder in its envelope.

Robin pulled out an unopened sleeve of chocolate chip cookies to which Starfire gave him a bewildered look.

"Why _those_ in your desk?" she pointed.

"I have a sweet tooth, okay?" He gave her a small smile as he opened the sleeve. He handed her one then took one for himself. "Cheers." He held it up.

Starfire held her cookie up as well but gave him a quizzical look. "Cheers?"

"Uh, its something people say before they drink. It means "good wishes."

"Interesting," She pondered.

"Typically it's done with alcohol," Robin explained. "But, since we're not old enough to drink yet, we'll stick with cookies."

"Nonetheless," she said with a smile. "Cheers." The two 'clinked" their treats together and ate them.

When Robin finished the cookie, he picked up another one but didn't eat it immediately and instead fiddled with it in his hand.

"Is something the matter?" Starfire asked him as she took another for herself.

"Am I fun?" He asked her still looking at his dessert.

"What do you mean?" She asked as she took a bite.

"Do you think I'm fun?" He asked again. "Am I a fun person?"

"Of course I do, Robin. Are we not having fun now?" She bit off a piece of her cookie. "Why are you asking me this?"

"I don't know," He took a bite. "I just heard Beast Boy talking to Mar'i about her session with me this morning and-" He put the remainder of his cookie in his mouth and swallowed. "He told her I didn't know how to 'do fun.' I think he was joking. I think. I don't know."

Starfire swallowed the remainder of her cookie. "Beast Boy, though he is a dear friend, can also be a clorbag. I would not consider his assessment."

Robin leaned forward and folded his arms on the desk. "Sure, but he's probably got a point. I could loosen up a bit. It's just that- I feel like I can't afford to."

"Your role demands much of you," Starfire said to him with sincerity. "I suppose I would be feeling similar if I were in your shorgalps." Starfire then looked past him and saw Mar'i's file sitting alone next to him. "Do you feel your training with Mar'i was successful?"

"I think so," He said leaning back in his chair. "She has a lot of natural talent. I still don't trust her 100%, but she's got some spunk for sure." He held out the sleeve of cookies to her once more to which she shook her head so he returned it to his bottom drawer. Starfire then stood up and pushed her chair in and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"I enjoyed my time with her as well," Starfire said.

"Oh yeah, how was the mall?" Robin turned his chair to face her. "How many twin beds did you sleep on?" He teased.

"None," She answered crinkling her nose. "She was able to purchase some clothing and I-" Starfire looked down almost as if ashamed. "I bought jeans."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "You bought jeans?"

"Denim, yes."

Robin racked his brain trying to imagine Starfire in something other than her typical Tameranean attire. The only other outfits had ever seen her wear was the wedding dress when they went to Tameran for her arranged marriage (a day he would much rather forget) and the dress she wore when he was forced to go to prom with Kitten. He had to admit thinking of her in the latter made the heat rise to his face.

"I know it is silly," She leaned back on her palms. "But I felt... normal. For once. As if I didn't stick out like a sore appendage."

"Sore thumb." Robin corrected gently as he stood up and joined her on the edge of the bed. "Oddly enough, I felt... kinda normal too when I was with Mar'i. More at ease, I guess." He admitted. "And I did... have fun. Working with her, that is."

Without looking at her, he took her hand in his. "I've thought about what you said the other night. About having a normal life."

"How so?" She asked as she shifted to face him.

"Well, for one, I'm sixteen and I'm filing crime reports." He gestured to the stack envelopes on his desk. "I go on early morning patrols when I should be sleeping. I'm already a workaholic." He sighed. "I should be in school or playing sports, but instead, I'm dealing with broken ribs from criminals on a weekly basis." He absentmindedly touched his side that Raven healed with his free hand. "I wouldn't call that _normal_ for someone my age."

"What are you saying?" Starfire inquired somewhat concerned.

"Robin scratched his head. "I guess things would be a lot less complicated if... I don't know." Robin looked down at their clasped hands. "If I ever have kids," he said still staring at her hand. "I don't want them to be under the same kind of stress."

"Are you... considering a civilian life?" Starfire asked carefully to which he looked at her and said,

"It's starting to sound tempting."

"Hmm." Starfire was thoughtful. "Truthfully, it sometimes sounds tempting to me as well. It is just... the transition still sounds daunting."

Robin was immediately thought back to the beach with her and the idea of her leaving to return to Tameran entered his mind. No. He couldn't allow himself to think about that right now.

"Robin, what is it?" She asked breaking him from his downward spiral.

"Let's not talk about this anymore?" He pushed his emotions down - something he realized he was too good at.

"I believe you are the one who breached this subject." Starfire mused.

"I know, but I'm starting to depress myself." He forced a laugh as he released his hand from hers. He got up and grabbed Mar'i's file from the table and flipped through it.

"Did you happen to find any new information on Mar'i?" He changed the subject. "Did she say anything to you during your session? Or at the mall?"

"Not much," Starfire said. "Although she did ask me a lot of questions. About me. And you."

"What kind of questions?" Robin asked her raising an eyebrow.

"I told her about how we went to Jump City High Prom. She wanted to know how you looked in your suit."

"That's a strange question to ask," Robin said but what he really wanted to ask was _"what did you tell her?"_

"It was," Starfire agreed with him while also carefully omitting her response about his suit. She thought a little longer when her eyes widened. She stood to her feet.

"What is it?" Robin asked her.

"During our training, she did say she came from a place that experienced much crime. And that she wants to be a- oh what was it called?" Starfire tapped her chin until it hit her. "Oh, a forensic scientist, I believe?"

"Interesting," Robin said as he put the folder on the table and wrote down the new information. He bent over with both hands on the back of one of the desk chairs to read the paper again."Well, it's clear she hasn't completely lost her memory. If we can figure out where she's from, we might be able to get in touch with some family or possibly some friends."

Starfire walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder and scanned the document.

"We will keep working with her. Which reminds me, perhaps we should evaluate each other's training for tomorrow morning?" She looked up with him causing Robin to pause because of how close she was. For a brief second, he wondered if could she feel his heart beating because he could feel it beating out of his ears. He clumsily agreed and pulled out a notebook for them to use. Once again, they sat down at the desk and got to work until around 10 pm when Robin couldn't hide a yawn. He finally stood up and closed the notebook.

"I'm going to make sure the others are back."

Starfire lightly grabbed his arm stopping him. "I am positive they have returned."

"Sure, but-"

"If you leave this room, you will not go to bed." She stood and faced him. "As you said yourself, you are sixteen. And sixteen-year-olds need sleep."

He pursed his lips ready to argue but relented. "You're right."

"I know." She smiled at him. "Pleasant shorlvax, Robin." She turned to leave when without even thinking Robin took hold of her hand. She looked to him questioning.

"Don't go." He word vomited.

"Robin, while I do require less sleep than you, I still must go to bed."

"That's not what I mean," He pulled her a little closer and took her hand. _What the heck are you doing, Robin?_ He started to argue with himself, but couldn't stop the words from pouring out of his mouth,

"If Titans part ways- _when_ we part ways-"

"I wish to go back to not speaking of this." Starfire averted her gaze.

He stopped her, gently took hold of her chin and turned her gaze back to him. "Listen." He released his grip and took both her hands in his. "Whatever the future holds, just... please don't go back to Tameran."

"Robin-"

"We make a good team. I don't want to lose-" _You... _

"... your friendship." He said, instead. Robin's heart was beating through his ears again. Starfire's face fell slightly, but she responded with a small smile

"I do not wish to return to Tameran, but I will, as you say, 'cross that bridge when we get there.'" She released her hands from his. "There is still time. I will see you tomorrow morning."

After she left, Robin laid down on his bed with the overwhelming weight of the conversation lingering. He did his best to shake it and grabbed Mar'i's file in an attempt to read it over once more, but then placed it to the side instead. "Yeah, we'll cross that bridge when we get there," He said to himself. He then rolled over and despite the heavy heaviness he felt, had one of the best nights sleep he had had in a long time.

* * *

**12:30 am**

Mar'i awoke to the sound of knocking on her door she groggily turned over on her stomach and reached for the communicator. Did she really sleep 9 hours since coming home from the mall? She tried to gain her bearings as best as she could and walked over to open the door to which she was surprised to be greeted by Beast Boy.

"Oh good, you're up! Last time Star took me to the mall, I slept for 12 hours straight!"

Mar'i rubbed her eyes. "I probably would have slept 12 hours too if you didn't come by so, thanks."

"Don't mention it," Beast Boy said. He then glanced behind her as if trying to look into the room. Mar'i glanced over her shoulder to see what he was looking at.

"Sorry," Beast Boy apologized and shook his head. "Our friend Terra... this used to be her room. I just haven't been down here since..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head. "Whatever, we might as well head to Raven's room since you're up." He walked down the hall and Mar'i followed and started to ask Beast Boy about Terra.

"All you need to know," Beast Boy said as they approached Raven's room, "Is she loved being outside, she was my best friend, and she would have wanted you to use her room." He gave her a small smile. "You would have loved her."

Mar'i, who was starting to understand, said, "I'm sure I would have."

Beast Boy smiled a little wider then briskly knocked on the door. Raven opened it with a hint of surprise on her face.

"Nice to see you're early. For a change..." She quipped mainly to Beast Boy who stuck his tongue out at her. "Real mature." She said as she rolled her eyes and ushered them inside. Cyborg was already there as well and looking a bit agitated as he typed into the computer in his arm. Mar'i walked over and looked over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she asked, trying to decipher the information.

"X sent me some coordinates that tell where to meet him. But because he's an actual jerk, they're encrypted. Once I get the location officially locked down, Raven's going to transport us there."

"Awwwww!" Beast Boy whined. "You didn't say we'd be using dark magic to get there!"

Mar'i looked to each of them for clarification but was ignored.

"How else did you think we were going to get there?" Raven sneered.

"The T-car, maybe?" Beast Boy suggested. "Or fly?! We literally fly everywhere!"

"Too slow," Cyborg explained while still working on the coordinates. "We need to get there and back in as little time as possible and I don't need us accidentally triggering any of the security cameras on our way out."

"Ugh!" Beast Boy threw his head back. "I didn't bring a vomit bag."

"What's he talking about?" Mar'i looked to Raven.

"Remember how I took Starfire to the infirmary when X got in the tower?" Raven responded and Mar'i nodded. "That's how we're going to this location tonight. But instead of transporting a few floors, we're most likely going several blocks."

"Got it!" Cyborg exclaimed tapping his screen once more. The information was locked.

"Wait, but I thought you said I couldn't handle the energy?" Mar'i felt the nervousness hit her stomach.

"Well, unfortunately, you don't have a choice but to handle it tonight." Raven checked the time on her communicator. "12:50. We should go." She stowed the communicator back in her cape. "Just close your eyes if you need to." She grabbed Mar'i and lead her to the center of the room motioning for the boys to follow. Beast Boy frantically looked around Raven's bedroom and grabbed the one thing that resembled a wastebasket.

"Put that back!" Raven barked at him as he joined them in the center of the room.

"Would you rather me throw up on your boots, or in your trash can?" Beast Boy countered.

"The Urn of Azar is not a trashcan." Raven pointed at it. "It contains the ashes and souls of dead Azarathians!"

Beast Boy gave her a look of pure terror and almost dropped the urn. "WHY DO YOU KEEP THIS STUFF IN YOUR ROOM?" He yelled. "How you sleep at night?!"

Raven frowned and snatched it away from him with her magic and placed the urn back in its proper place. Beast Boy groaned in reluctance and placed his hand on Mari's left shoulder. Cyborg put a hand on Raven's shoulder and showed her the coordinates. "Think you can get us there?" He asked her.

She looked over the information and nodded. "Hang on to me."

Mar'i started to see a wall of black envelop her and the three Titans.

"_Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS_!"

Mar'i wasn't sure what happened next, but she started to feel lightheaded. She thought she saw lightening. But she mostly just saw quick flashes of light. Then darkness. More light. Then more darkness. She looked to either side of her and saw no one. Then in an instant, the black void that enveloped her disappeared and she found herself in what appeared to be a warehouse. Maybe. There were large wooden crates dispersed throughout the area. Above her was a saw a dark ceiling with at least two glass windows which allowed the light from the moon to shine through.

"Is everyone okay?" She heard Cyborg ask. She turned to her right to see Cyborg was reading the information on his computer screen and Raven was casually dusting off her uniform. She turned to her left where Beast Boy was hunched over grabbing his stomach.

"I'm gonna hurl." He quickly ran behind one of the crates and proceeded to vomit.

Raven shook out her cape. "Are you alright?" She asked Mar'i.

"What did you just do?" Mar'i asked her in slight fear.

"Magic" Raven answered nonchalantly as she looked around the warehouse.

"_Dark_ magic!" Beast Boy yelled from behind the crate before puking once more.

"What's important is," Cyborg interjected. "that dark magic got us where we needed to go. Now we gotta find, Red X.

"Look no further," a different voice answered in the shadows behind them. Mar'i, Raven, and Cyborg quickly turned around and Beast Boy perked up from behind his crate to see Red X leading again the far wall of the warehouse. "I'm right here. And you all even got here a few minutes early. I'm impressed."

Raven's immediately started to glow as she took a battle stance while Beast Boy pounced from behind his crate and stood next to her in the form of a tiger. Cyborg's sonic cannon was down at his side but ready to fire. Mar'i wasn't sure what to do so she pathetically put her fists up like Robin showed her at their session.

"This is cute." Red X almost laughed. "Especially you, Little Gray. You're adorable."

"We're not here to play games, X," Cyborg warned. "You tell us what we need to know or I'll send these coordinates to JCPD right now."

"Yeah, that's not gonna work Tin Man." Red X warned. "I got those coordinates safeguarded. There's no way, JCPD can trace them and you know it. Not to mention, there's enough malware encrypted in those pins. If you sent them in, you'd take down their entire network. You won't want to be held responsible for that, would you?"

Cyborg gritted his teeth and cursed to himself.

"Okay, so you got us here," Raven didn't back down keeping her hands ready to fire if needed. "You want to talk so let's talk."

"Be my guest," Red X walked toward them and stopped a few feet in front of them. "But you can put your spells away, Hermoine. As exciting as it could be, I'm honestly not looking for a fight tonight."

Raven looked to Cyborg to which he eyed X once more before nodding to her without taking his eyes off him. She reluctantly released her fists. Beast Boy followed suit and turned back into human form and Mar'i assumed this meant she could put her hands down.

"That's more like it," X crossed his arms. "So, let's talk."

"If you just wanted to talk, why did you break into our house?" Beast Boy asked.

"Things were starting to get boring," X said kicking at nothing. Though Mar'i couldn't see his face she thought she hinted a mischevious smile behind the mask. "I needed some excitement."

"How do you know who I am?" Mar'i found her voice and challenged him.

"Yeah, cut the crap, X." Raven firmly reitterated. "How do you know who Mar'i is?"

Red X uncrossed his arms and walked a little closer to them until he was about a foot away from Raven.

"I'll tell you, but you're not going to like it."

"Well, we already don't like you, it's not like you have anything to worry about." Cyborg said.

"I should rephrase," X placed his hands into his suit which apparently had side pockets. "You may not like _Robin_ after all of this."

"Will you stop beating around the bush and just tell us how you know Mar'i's identity." Raven narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm getting there, Sabrina. Can't you stop being so impatient?" X responded in agitation. "I know who Mar'i is, because I know what you're looking for."

"What does that supposed to mean?" Beast Boy asked.

"The clock." Red X said. "The one you can't find?"

The three Titans tensed and Mar'i's mouth fell open, that is, before the anger hit her. She walked up to him and stared him directly into the eyes in his mask.

"You have the clock, don't you?! The clock to get me home?!"

"It's not that simple-"

"Send me home!" She screamed in desperation. "Now!"

"I _had_ the clock." He stressed. "I don't have it anymore. So, I suggest before you light me on fire again that you-"

Without even thinking, Mar'i shot a star bolt at Red X's feet which caused him to jump back a few feet. Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy also jumped in surprise.

"Watch it!" He drew back. "Looks like someone's been getting lessons from mom and dad."

"Why did you steal it and what did you do with it?!" Mar'i raged at him.

"Let's get one thing straight, Little Gray. I may be a thief, but _I didn't steal it_." He pointed at her. "There are more valuable things to me than that useless old clock. Or at least, I thought it was useless at the time."

"What?!" Mar'i looked to the other Titans for backup. "What is he talking about?"

Raven who had been processing Red X's information this whole time, closed her eyes in frustration. "He _gave_ it to you. Didn't he?"

"Afraid so," Red X confirmed for Raven. "Until 3 nights ago, I've had it for the last four years."

"What is he talking about, Raven?" Mar'i walked over to her. Cyborg, who understood immediately, put his hands on his head and started to pace in aggravation.

"I'm gonna kill him. I seriously think I'm going to kill him."

Mar'i who was starting to get tired of being ignored pressed Raven again. "Tell me!"

Raven took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "Robin. Robin gave the clock to Red X."

"WHAT?! " Mar'i exploded, throwing her hands in the air. A starbolt shot from her right hand and went through the ceiling of the warehouse, causing a glass skylight to break above Red X. He ducked out of the way to escape the falling glass.

"Told you you wouldn't like it." X dusted himself off and checked himself for glass.

"Uh..." Beast Boy gaped. "Is Robin an IDIOT?!" He flailed his arms.

"Why would he give it to you?!" Mar'i was livid. "Why in the world would he trust _you?_!"

"I'd wish I knew much as you, Little Gray, but he never said. All he said was the clock was dangerous. Since I'm typically not the easiest person to get in touch with, I guess he assumed it would be safe with me."

"And you agreed? You actually did this for him?!" Cyborg pressed. "It's not like you care about anyone but yourself!"

"Don't get your circuits in a twist," X snapped. "Of course I didn't do it for him!" "The kid offered me a pretty generous supply of Xenothium. I wasn't going to pass that up."

"I'm gonna kill him." Cyborg threatened a third time while shaking his head. "He told me he got rid of that stash!"

"Xenothium? What would you need that for?" Mar'i protested thinking back to her last Chemistry class where they had just discussed the makeup and properties of the chemical itself. "You know that stuff's not stable, right?! It can kill you if you're not careful!"

"That might be, but it's what powers the suit," X said pointing to his belt. "As I said, that was four years ago. My supply started running low and I got a little desperate. And since you guys put Chang in prison, I can't steal from him anymore so I was grasping at straws."

"What did you do?" Raven pressed him.

"I found a buyer. Offered me another three years supply. I listed it three nights ago, and they came that night to get it."

"Who was the buyer?" Raven asked him rapid fire.

"We never officially met. But his "secretary" agreed to meet me right here like I'm meeting you now."

"The secretary, what did she look like?" Cyborg asked him.

"Well, for one, she wasn't a secretary at all," Red X reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small tablet and touched the screen a few times. "Believe it or not, this is where I hang out most of the time. I figured I'd need some security so I put up some cameras."He briefly looked up and pointed to a couple of corners in the room to which the four saw a few small red lights indicating they were being recorded. He held it up the tablet for the three Titans and for Mar'i to see.

Against, their better judgment, the four of them gathered around the small screen which displayed security footage of Red X, who was holding the clock, meeting the "secretary" who was actually a drone. The drone was carrying a case of Xenothium and the two swapped objects. Once the swap was complete the drone released a smoke fume that clouded the screen. The video went blank.

"That thing entered through the roof, but obviously didn't want me following it. That's when I started to get suspicious." Red X stowed the tablet and crossed his arms again. "However, I sifted through some of the footage and was able to catch a serial number on the thing. Belongs to Wayne Enterprises, but here's the kicker: this model's not on the market yet."

"Bruce Wayne wanted an antique and he sent a prototype?" Beast Boy scratched his head trying to understand. "I mean, they got products in their arsenal ready to go for the next 5 years!"

"This model won't be on the market for another _25 years."_ Red X clarified. "Actually, more like 26. And if you're wondering how I could possibly know that, Wayne Enterprises always includes the date of release in the SN. This thing was legit, not a knock off."

Raven did the math in her head. "That must mean..."

"Mar'i brought something with her when she traveled." Red X answered for her. "I don't know what, but something tells me it's not good."

Mar'i stood dumbfounded attempting to process all the information she just received. "But... how? There were no drones in Dad's office when I broke the thing!" She then looked to Red X and instantly remembered how mad she was at him. "And that _still_ doesn't explain why you knew I was here, to begin with!"

Red X suppressed a laugh. "Yeah, you're going to laugh when I tell you how I found that out."

"Humor us." Raven quipped.

"Like I said, I only sold the thing a few nights ago," Red X answered. "And even though the kid irks me, I knew needed to talk to Robin about what I found. So the night I sold it, I broke into the tower-"

"C'mon, man!" Cyborg shook his head.

"Anyway," Red X continued. "I got in the tower with the hopes of talking to Boy Wonder privately about it. But little did I know, that he and the princess would be out on patrol that night and the rest of you would be trying to heal their kid's concussion."

"So, you eavesdropped?" Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Essentially." he shrugged. "I was able to put two and two together once I found out Little Gray was from the same time as that drone."

"How did we not see you?!" Beast Boy asked. Red X simply pointed to his belt. "Oh, right," Beast Boy slumped over. "Xenothium."

"You have to tell them who you are, Mar'i." Red X sounded almost sincere. "I don't know what we're going to be up against, but whatever it is, we all need to be in on this."

"I didn't think you were one to team up." Raven tilted her head in suspicion.

"We're messing with time here," X answered. "Unfortunately, I don't know if I can afford to work alone on this."

"Why should we work with you at all?!" Mar'i scoffed. "This is your fault! You're the one who sold it!"

"Well, your dad was the one who gave it to me. So before you go pointing the finger at me, I'd ask myself why you think he might have done that! Maybe you wouldn't be in this mess to begin with-"

"Enough!" Raven stopped them. "At this point, that doesn't matter. I'm equally pissed at Robin and you." She pointed to X then turned to Mar'i. "I don't know about telling Robin and Starfire about all of this yet, but X is right about one thing, we may need to work together to find out where that clock is and what came through the time warp with you."

"You're not serious, right? How do you even know you can trust him?!" Mar'i protested.

"We don't," Cyborg answered looking at the ground. "But we may have to."

"I can gain intel. Get into places you can't." X chimed in. "Whether we all like it or not, I'm a valuable resource to you."

Mar'i put her face in her hands. She could not believe this was happening.

"We'll work with you," Raven continued speaking to X. "But you can't withhold information from us and have to 100% honest about your findings. Got it?"

"Crystal. How's this for honesty, Wayne Enterprises has a satellite building here downtown which is also a production site for a handful of his products. I'm going to check it out tomorrow to see if I can get any information on that drone. I'll get back with you with what I find."

"Swear it." Beast Boy threatened.

"I swear." Red X answered. His response sounded genuine. "You even have my agreement on the record." He pointed to the cameras again.

"Fantastic," Raven replied sarcastically as she grabbed her communicator. "It's 1:30. We've already been here too long." She stowed the communicator and looked to Red X. "Keep us updated."

Mar'i lifted her head from her hands and stared at Red X as well. "I don't like you."

"That's fine, Little Gray. But do keep that question in mind, why do you think Robin gave me the clock?"

Mar'i couldn't answer. Instead of answers she only had a million other questions. What could have possibly entered into 2006 with her? Why were Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy being so trusting of this guy? Why didn't Robin... why didn't her dad... see how careless he had been giving away the clock?

Raven placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Mar'i. We need to go."

Mar'i looked at Red X one more time before Raven's energy cloaked her and the boys. She didn't break her gaze until the darkness enveloped them. Her head felt like it was spinning again, but instead of fighting the feeling she let it take over and wondered if she would, in fact, ever make it home.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello readers. Thank you to those who have stuck with me this far. This is my first story and I know it hasn't been perfect. I have been thankful for all the positive feedback as well as constructive criticism. Looking back at my first few chapters, I realize this is definitely a story I would like to edit in the future. Part of me has considered taking it down and reposting at a later date with changes, but I also understand the disappointment in becoming invested in a story only to find it unfinished. After overcoming a little writer's block, I am doing my best to continue this idea. Thank you all for your patience and I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**Gotham City 2032; 8:30 pm the night of Mar'i's disappearance**

Was he really at the age now where 8:30 felt so late? Dick wondered to himself as he maneuvered the Volkswagon in and out of Gotham traffic. The lights of the city all started to blend together as he fought back another yawn. Kory was slumped down in the passenger seat also blinking as if trying to stay awake. He remembered when they were teenagers. Late nights turned into mornings and they would hit the ground running the next day unfazed. Now they were begging for sleep. But he knew, fatigue wasn't the true reason for Kori's silence. She hadn't said a word since they left the house.

"Talk to me, Kor." Dick prompted as they slowed to the stoplight.

"My daughter thinks I am of unsound mind," Kori answered without looking at him. She rested her elbow on the door leaned her head against the window "What else do I need to say?"

The light turned green and Dick drove the car another block before parking in the parking garage next to the event center. He turned the car off and shifted in his seat to face her. "She thinks I'm crazy too."

"I would argue that being the Boy Wonder is a bit more palatable than your mother being from another planet." She responded, still not looking at him.

"I don't know about that." Dick said a little quieter. "In all fairness, she's sixteen. Nothing we say is going to be palatable to her."

"Richard, please," She finally turned to face him. "You know this is more than us just being 'uncool.'" She made air quotes. "I fear she may never take me seriously again."

"That's not true." Dick reached for her hand, but she pulled back.

"It is true. It's taken me over 20 years for people to take me seriously and now I feel as if I'm back where I started."

Dick reached for her hand again and held it firmly.

"You have sacrificed so much to be where you are now. We both had to give things up, but you…" Dick paused. "I honestly don't know how you did it. I can't speak for other people, but don't think for one second, I never took you seriously."

Kori leaned her head against the headrest and closed her eyes. "I know."

Dick took a stray piece of hair that has fallen from her bun and placed it behind her ear. "This situation is… unusual, but what isn't unusual is for a family to argue once and awhile. She will come around. We can show her some things from the office tomorrow?"

"Maybe, just you. I think she likes you more than me anyway."

"That's also not true." Dick gave her a disapproving look.

"Sometimes I think it is!" Kori sat up again and looked at him. "You're the one who takes her to the station, and I'm the one who grounds her."

"Okay, maybe you overreacted a bit... but she was out of line with that comment she made."

"But she's right!" Kori threw her hands in the air. "I have done the slipping up. It truly is as if English escapes me. It's happened so much this week! It's like I am sitting at Bruce's dining room table again frustrated over my ESL workbook while Alfred marks up my mistakes. It is as if-"

She was silenced when Dick leaned over and kissed her. She wanted to fight it but instead found herself sinking into it. When he broke the kiss he gave her a sympathetic smile. "Are you finished beating yourself up now?"

She loved and hated how much he still charmed her. She furrowed her brow slightly. "For now, I suppose."

He took her hand again and looked her in the eye. "I don't want you to think I'm diminishing how hard this is for you, because I'm not. We knew the risks in telling her and in not telling her, but out of all those risks, I think our daughter hating us for a couple of days is pretty modest consequence compared to what could be."

Kori nodded her head. "True, but there's still so much more to explain. And sure, the risk is small now, but the more she knows the less opportunity she has to live a normal life..." Kori trailed off and met his eyes. "I don't want her in harm's way."

"Me either," Dick agreed. "We'll take this one step at a time." Dick looked at the clock in the car and groaned. "But until then, we have to go wine and dine these socialites." He unbuckled his seatbelt.

Kori also groaned as she unbuckled her seatbelt and they both exited the car. "I detest these things." She closed her car door.

"You and me both," Dick locked the doors, circled to her side of the car, and offered her his arm. "But I hear they fondue tonight."

Kori took his arm with a satisfied nod. "I do enjoy the melted cheese and chocolate."

The two exited the parking garage and started to walk the street-lit two blocks to the event center

"Is Chip bringing Kit?" Kori asked with a hint of disdain in her voice.

"Unfortunately," Dick murmured under his breath thinking about his partner's obnoxious wife.

Dick couldn't imagine working with anyone else other than Chip Matthews. Chip was a blonde-haired, brown-eyed, sometimes impulsive, loud, friendliest teddy bear of a guy in the world. He was the complete opposite of him in every way, but Dick considered him one of his best friends. Then there was his wife, Kit. She was a real piece of work. She was also a loud commanding presence and a Southern Belle transplant to Gotham. Dick guessed she must weigh 100lbs dripping wet, but was always on some new diet to drop another 10lbs. Under the big hair and perfectly manicured appearance however, her words were laced with an underlying tone of judgment, especially when it came to Kori. It also didn't help that her name vaguely reminded him of a terrible prom date he had once. Dick honestly had no idea how Chip and Kit worked together, but they had been married over 15 years so they must have done something right.

"Glorious..." Kori sarcastically responded. She rolled her eyes and looked up at Dick. "I bet you 10 porkins she'll make a comment about my hair or how much I food I consume."

"First of all, I don't know what a porkin is," Dick laughed as they ascended the concrete steps of the event center. "And as much as I hate to defend Kit, you aren't starting to look salt and peppered like the rest of us."

"My people don't grey."

"Your people are fortunate."

He opened the door for her and the two entered the ornate banquet hall. The hall was buzzing with Gotham's most prominent big-wigs, as well as the entire Gotham Police Department and city council. A small stage had been erected at the far end of the hall where a jazz quartet played subtle notes amidst the noise and round tables with delicate white table cloths. Dick eyed the mayor talking to members of the press who were covering the gala for tomorrow's edition of the paper.

He then looked to his right and met eyes with Bruce Wayne who was standing by his date (a woman Dick had never seen before) who donned a red satin gown with dark charcoal hair gracing her slender shoulders. Dick had to estimate she was at least 15 years younger than him. They were standing in a group of men and women who were laughing as the woman playfully touched Bruce's arm. Dick gave Bruce a nod 'hello' and Bruce returned it. The moment was interrupted when Bruce's date tapped his shoulder and the two excused themselves from the conversation.

"Do you know her?" Kori raised an eyebrow as she watched the billionaire and his lady for the evening walk across the hall.

"Nope, and I doubt I ever will." Dick as he extended his arm to Kori again, "Shall we?"

They walked around the hall, making pleasantries with a few of Dick's co-workers along the way, until they were able to make out a "Hey, Grayson!" among the sea of voices and the hum of the stand-up bass. They looked over next to the dessert table to see Chip Matthews waving to them. He walked over to them in his usual jovial stride.

"Long time no see," Chip smiled as he shook Dick's hand and pulled him into a hug. "Good to see you as well, Mrs. Grayson." Kori grinned and extended her hand to him to which he gave a warm squeeze. "Not sure where Kit went off to, but I know she'd love to see you!"

"I'm sure I will run into her at some point." Kori politely responded as she unlinked her arm from Dick's. "If you gentlemen, do not mind, I am starving."

"Atta girl!" Chip teased giving her a light 'atta-boy' punch on the shoulder. "Say, If you do run into Kit, please make her eat something. She's started this weird diet where she only eats cabbage."

Dick looked away and suppressed a laugh while Kori maintained her polite demeanor.

"I will certainly attempt to," she humored him then turned to Dick. "Do you want anything?" He shook his head 'no' and kissed her on her forehead before she left. After Kori was out of earshot, Chip looked to Dick.

"Seriously, man. I don't know how your wife eats the way she does and still has the figure of a 25-year-old."

"I don't know either," Dick lied while simultaneously thinking about the nine stomachs that somehow fit into her small frame. "She's a bottomless pit."

"Must be nice." Chip sighed glancing at his small pooch that hid under his tuxedo shirt.

"RICHARD GRAYSON, MY GAWD!" a thick Southern voice rang out behind Dick.

Dick internally sighed with reluctance and spun around to see Kit Matthews sporting a bright blue floor-length dress, wearing just a little too much eyeliner, and her nutbrown curls bouncing on her shoulders. She had her arms extended for a hug with a glass of champagne in her left hand.

"Aren't you just a handsome, devil?! You come here and give me a hug!" She wrapped his arms around him and accidentally sloshed a little champagne on his shoulder. Dick thought to himself that if Kori wasn't the strongest woman he knew, he was pretty sure Kit's hugs would be lethal.

"Kit, let the man go!" Chip scolded, jokingly. "You're getting your alcohol all over his tux!" Kit released Dick from her grip and "tut-tutted" her husband.

"Hush now, Chip! How in the world you, Dick? You need to pass whatever workout routine you're doing onto Chip. You are looking fine!"

She patted Dick's flat stomach and Chip rolled his eyes.

"I haven't seen you since the Christmas Party!" She exclaimed. "Five whole months since I've seen you. Can you believe it?!"

_Not long enough._

"Yeah, it's been a while." Dick responded.

"I'll never forget how Kori ate all that shrimp." Kit shook her head disapprovingly as she took a sip of champagne. "I told her she was gonna get gout if she ate that whole tray. Now, tell me," She lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned in so only Dick and Chip could hear. "Did she? Did she get gout?"

Dick exchanged an uncertain glance with Chip as if to say, "really?" Chip looked dumbfounded.

"No, Kit," Dick looked back to her and answered her as kindly as he could. "No gout in the Grayson house."

Kit's maintained her smile, but Dick could have sworn he saw it fall slightly to a look of minor disappointment

"Well, bless it," She said between her teeth as she took another swig of champagne. She then started to look over his shoulder. First, the left, then the right. "Where is your _lovely_ wife tonight? Is she here, or is she home brushing all that hair of hers?"

Dick frowned at the undercut and Chip rubbed his temple embarrassed by her passive-aggressive behavior.

"I tell you what," Kit said completely oblivious to their reactions. "It's just a personal preference, but I really think women our age shouldn't let our hair go past shoulder length. But, to each his own I suppose."

"Kori's getting some food," Chip answered for Dick. "And you know honey, why don't you go get a plate too?" He took her lightly by the arm and ushered her in the direction of the table. "You haven't had anything since noon except champagne… and cabbage." He wrinkled his nose in disgust as if the smell of steamed cabbage just smacked him in the face.

"I know you're trying to get rid of me," Kit teased him. "Fine. I'll just mozy on over, but I'm not eating any extra calories!" She wagged her finger at them. "I gotta fit into that cute little number for your cousin's wedding next month. Why don't you fellas go find us a table and Kori and I will catch up?"

"Sure thing, hon." Chip waved to her as she walked away. He then looked to Dick apologetically. "I'm sorry man, she's… just insecure. I'll talk to her when she gets back."

"Eh, don't do it here," Dick said, shaking his head. "It's not the place and Kori would be mortified. She has her own insecurities to worry about." He motioned for them to look for an empty table. Chip followed him.

"Kori Grayson, insecure? My foot! I don't believe that for one second."

"Well, you haven't been in our house the past two days," Dick said, finally grabbing a seat at one of the few empty tables a few feet from the small stage. "She and Mar'i, well all of us, had a bit of an argument. It's been tense."

"Was it about the incident at the station?" Chip took the seat next to him. "I'm sorry about that man, I didn't think she'd run outside with you. I should have kept my eye on her."

"Don't apologize," Dick assured him as he grabbed the water pitcher in front of them and poured them both a glass. "Mar'i should've had more sense than that. Kori just got a little freaked out because of it. Long story short, Mar'i's grounded for the weekend and they're not on speaking terms. But they'll work it out."

"I don't blame her," Chuck said. "I'd probably be scared senseless if those creeps came remotely near our either of girls. I still can't believe you brought her in with you."

Dick shrugged. "This AP Chemistry class is really doing a number on her and I thought a change of scenery could be good."

"A change of scenery?!" Chip guffawed. "You could have taken the day off and gone to the park instead! I wouldn't consider the station a 'break'"

"That's fair," Dick nodded. "I think I just wanted to spend some time with her. And when have you ever known me to take a day off?"

"Never," Chip sipped his water. "First day on the job, you came in with the flu and infected us all. Gordon had to send you home."

"You're not going to let me live that down are you?" Dick smirked.

"Nope." Chip shook his head.

"Look who I found next to the charcuterie!" Kit's thick molasses voice cut through the conversation as she approached the table, with both hands on Kori's shoulders. Kori held two plates in her hands full of food and eyed Dick with an irritated look that clearly wasn't meant for him. She politely wiggled out of Kit's grasp and sat down next to Dick, and Kit took her spot on the other side of Chuck.

"I think I owe you 10 porkins." Dick whispered to Kori.

"Who do you think is speaking tonight?" Kit asked the table.

"Bruce Wayne. It's always Bruce Wayne." Chip answered. "He always funds these shindigs. Thanking us for our civil service and contributions to the city. So on and so forth. Although, I can't say I've seen him around much tonight." Chip scanned the room.

"I will say, even for his age, he is a tall drink of water." Kit eyes widened and she took a sip of champagne "Yes, indeed. I only wish he wasn't such a vigilante sympathizer. Especially for those alien ones. I tell ya, I don't understand it"

Dick and Kori both shifted uncomfortably in their seats. They knew this topic was bound to come up.

"Oh, Kit don't start this now," Chip groaned. "Guys like the Bat and his Robin kid, help guys like me and Grayson all the time! Just last week, they headed off Riddler for us and all we had to do was escort him back to the station."

"Batman is not an _alien_, hon." Kit emphasized and leaned past Chip to talk to the two Grasyons."Remember when they brought Superman in last year to speak?"

"I remember," Kori responded, already detecting a tone of defense in herself. "I thought his talk was quite excellent."

"He did alright I suppose," Kit shrugged her shoulder. "I will give him that: he is well-spoken. One of the more _articulate_ ones I guess."

Dick grabbed Kori's hand that she had already balled up into a fist under the table. This is not the conversation they needed right now.

"But I tell you what," Kit continued. "Those extraterrestrials give me the heebie-jeebies. They're gonna turn on us one day, just you wait." She pointed to them as if to strengthen her point then leaned back in her seat satisfied with herself.

"Can I blast her?" Kori whispered to Dick in agitation.

"I wish I could tell you yes." He whispered back when something hit the back of his head. "Ow!"

Kori jumped in surprise and he turned around to see what hit him.

"You alright, Grayson?" Chip patted him on the back.

"Yeah," He answered turning back to the table. "Just- OW!" Something else hit the back of his head. Dick stood up from his chair and checked the floor. Kori also stood up but quickly bent down and picked up a walnut. She held it up.

"I believe this is the culprit?"

Dick, Kori, and the Matthewses turned and looked in the direction of the stage and saw the real culprit standing by the steps. He was leaning against the railing of the steps and waved to Dick and Kori. His dark brown hair was slicked back and he was sporting also a tux. His eyes were conveniently veiled by a pair of dark sunglasses.

"Son of a gun." Dick rubbed his forehead in annoyance.

"Well, why in the world would that fella be throwin' nuts at you?" Kit asked in genuine concern looking to Dick.

Dick answered her as he pushed in his chair. "I'm about to go find out. Excuse me, please." He apologized to the Matthewses.

"I am going to accompany him." Kori told the Matthewses and the two made their way to the stage steps.

"I swear to X'hal, if you two have been going on-" Kori started to accuse with a venom.

"I haven't," Dick stopped her. "Nothing since Mar'i was born. But don't get it twisted, I've been asked. Multiple times."

They stopped a few feet in front of the nut thrower.

"How ya do, Dick?" The man casually cracked open the walnut in his hand. "Princess," he nodded to Kori. "That silhouette is gorgeous on you. Purple is definitely your color."

"What are you? Five?!" Dick smacked the nut out of his hand. "Do you always have to make a scene? You could have sent me a text message!"

"Well, that was rude," the man smirked, reached in his coat pocket, and cracked open another nut. "And yes I could have, but I like to consider myself a child a heart." He popped the nut in his mouth. "They got a great spread here, huh?"

"What is it you want, Jason?" Kori groaned.

"I needed to talk to you. Both of you." He chewed and stood up from the rail. "I really hoped I could talk to Nightwing and Starfire but I'm guessing I'm that's out of the question."

"They are most certainly unavailable tonight." Kori narrowed her eyes at him.

"Clearly," Jason took off his glasses to reveal his hazel eyes as he sized up their black-tie attire. He put them back on then grabbed another nut out of his suit pocket. "So, how's my niece doing?"

"She's grounded," Dick said flatly.

"That goody-two-shoes? Really?!," He cracked the nut and ate it. "I haven't seen her in a few months. In fact, I haven't much of any of you. I'm thinking family reunion? I know a guy who can make us t-shirts!"

Kori pointed her finger towards the nutcracker. A small spark of a starbolt shot from her finger, knocking it out of Jason's hand.

"Can't a man enjoy the fruits of his labor?!" He shook his fist.

"I've has been trying to get ahold of you for months!" Dick spat. "Last I heard, you've been out galavanting between Gotham and Blüdhaven. Why are you here _now_?"

"You could have come with me," Jason said in a sing-songy voice as he put his hands in his pocket and rocked back on his heels.

"You know I can't!" Dick spat. "Mar'i-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know!' Jason waved a hand dismissively. "_Family, the kiddo_, _normalcy_. I know the schpeel by now!"

"You want to get to the point as to why you're interrupting our evening?" Dick crossed his arms.

_"Good to see you too, Jason_." Jason mocked under his breath and looked around cautiously before reaching under the steps of the stage.

He pulled out a small brass clock. Dick's eyes grew wide and he roughly pushed Jason behind a temporarily erected stage curtain. Kori turned to see Chip and Kit with very perplexed expressions on their faces. She smiled and gave them a thumbs-up, but quickly hurried to join Dick and Jason behind the stage.

"What is _that_ doing here?!" Dick yelled at him.

"If you would give me a chance, I'll tell you!" Jason countered still holding the clock.

"You broke into our house, didn't you?! Mar'i's there right now. Please tell me you didn't scare her senseless!"

"She didn't see me, because I didn't break into your house!"

"Why should we believe you?" Kori interjected. "This is not your first breaking and entering offense."

Jason raised a finger to argue but then nodded. "Okay, I _do_ see your point, but _Scout's Honor_," he raised his right hand. "I did not take this from your home. Your house is more secure than that Tower ever was anyway."

Dick and Kori paused and exchanged a glance.

"That_ Nest_ system you have is really great." Jason continued. "Should've had Victor install something like that back in the day."

"Are you seriously telling me you've tried to break into our house before?!" Dick fumed.

"Just _once_ to grab a few of my things," Jason said, defensively. "But I'll have you know, I was unsuccessful! By the way, I want my suit back."

"My suit to begin with." Dick quipped.

"I wore it better." Jason scoffed.

"X'hal…" Kori brought both her hands to her head and growled in frustration. "Can we please cease this incessant banter?" She scolded them. "Jason, please. Tell us why you have our clock then return it to us."

"That's the thing. I don't think this is your clock," Jason explained. "I got back from my _galavanting_ as you so-called it, and this thing showed up at my apartment this afternoon. The return address was Bruce's, but when I asked him about it and he said he never sent it. He said to ask you since, well, you collect weird crap like this. By the way, do you know who his date is?"

"No." Dick answered fairly unconcerned with whoever his former mentor decided to spend his evening with. "But that..." he refred to the clock. "... is a bit odd." Dick rubbed his chin.

"Well, I'm glad we can agree on that," Jason said. "But, here's the kicker," Jason carefully tilted the base so they could see the bottom a small '02' was inscribed. "I think it's part of a set. Your clock is the second half."

"And this is important because…?" Dick questioned.

"Think, Dick!" Jason pressed him. "Last time you guys messed with a machine like this-"

"I went to the future." Kori cut him off. "But as you can see," She gestured to the room around them. "This future is nothing of what I saw. I would prefer to keep it that way."

"I get that." Jason agreed with her. "But something is strange about this, right? Why would someone send this to me? The only reason, I could think was that it has something to do with your clock too."

"Fine," Dick rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "Let me take a look at it."

Jason lifted the clock for him to see. Dick studied it and carefully removed the glass from the face and looked closely at the pin holding the hands together. He almost missed it, but he noticed a minuscule camera, barely the size of a grain of sand on the pin. Dick felt his stomach drop and a fear washed over him. He abruptly picked it off the face and threw it on the ground. Kori also realized what it was and immediately shot a small star bolt and destroyed it.

Jason's face froze understanding the gravity of his mistake. "Dick. Kori... I am so sorry."

"When did you get this sloppy?!" Dick yelled at him. "We've already said too much, and now someone has our information on the record!"

Jason pursed his lips. "I was maybe a_ little _hungover when I got home."

"Typical." Dick scoffed. "What if someone is trying to get ahold of the other clock? Who knows what they could do together?!"

"Perhaps that is the point," Kori suggested, causing Dick and Jason to look at her. "Maybe whoever sent this clock to Jason… is in need of them both. What if this one can facilitate time travel too?"

Panic entered Dick's mind. He knew if someone _was_ in need of the other clock, they would be on their way to their house right now. He turned and left the backstage area. Kori pushed through the curtains after him.

"Dick, what's wrong?!" She hurried after him

"I don't know!" He answered in a panic. "But something- something's not right." He shook his head in distress. "We need to get to Mar'i."

Jason wasn't far behind them with the device and called after them,

"What do you want me to do with this -?!"

It was in that instant, the clock in Jason's hands shot forth a bright light from its face. The three of them were knocked off their feet and reeled back in fear of blindness. The entire room was illuminated with bright light and the rest of the banquet attendees shrieked from the commotion. Dick pushed himself up from the floor when a flood of images flashed in his mind causing his head to ache. He started seeing faces that he wasn't sure were real as if he wasn't in his own body. He saw himself as the Robin again, and a brief image of his daughter, he saw Kori… no… he saw _Starfire_. His mind was racing and he couldn't quiet the noise. Kori also brought her hands to her head also overtaken with an onslaught of images. She saw herself as a teenager again in her Tameranean clothing that she hadn't worn in years, _Robin_, her friends…_ the Titans_, and… _Mar'i?_! Jason also writhed in an attempt to not lose his sight, but hung onto the clock. Images flashed in his mind, but he couldn't make them out as most of them were unclear. All he did know was the headache he was feeling wasn't from his hangover.

The light lingered for several seconds then left as soon as it came. The hall was silent and people murmured in frantic tones. _'What was that?!__Where did it come from? 'Oh my!' Did a fuse blow?'_

Kori, Dick, and Jason slowly stood up, stunned. Dick found himself breathing heavily and bent over with his hands on his knees. His heart was racing.

"Okay," Jason dusted himself off with his free hand and walked up to them with a wild expression on his face. "How about we go in the back alley and I let Kori blast this thing?!" He pointed at the device. "What did I just see?"

"I don't know but..." Kori said to him, then immediately turned to Dick. "But I saw something too."

"So did I..." Dick nodded still trying to regulate his breathing.

"Great. So we all saw something." Jason tried to hurry them along. "Now, let's destroy this thing. Whoever sent me this must be a real nut job."

"What did you see?" Dick asked Kori still bent over, ignoring Jason.

"I- I saw... you." She answered. "I saw The Titans... and Mar'i!"

Dick stood up straight. "I saw Mar'i too." He turned to Jason. "What did you see?"

"No idea. It was a jumbled mess." Jason frowned.

"C'mon, Jason. Give me something. Did you see Mar'i?!" Dick asked him again.

"Maybe?" Jason rubbed the back of his head. "But I think I saw myself as- Well... my younger self?"

Kori placed a hand on Dick's shoulder. "Dick, what are you suggesting?"

"I think..." he began. "I think we all had a flashback, or.. memories." Dick clarified and pointed at the clock. "Something triggered that thing to-" He stopped himself and turned to Kori.

"Mar'i." He grabbed Kori by the shoulders.

"What is it?" She asked him.

"I don't know what's happened, but I just know we need to get to her." He was firm.

Kori nodded her head profusely in agreement. Dick released his grip from her and grabbed the clock from Jason.

"Next time, just text me."

Jason rolled his eyes in response and the three of them started to make their way towards the door.

"What about your friends?" Jason jammed his thumb in the direction of the Matthewses who were both looking around the room stunned by the ruckus. Kit was blinking multiple times to make sure she could still see

"I'll message Chip later, _like an adult," _Dick emphasized to Jason.

"Dick?" Kori went pale and stopped in her tracks. Her eyes were fixed on the door. Dick and Jason followed her gaze, and almost as if on cue, the rest of the banquet hall fell silent and turned their heads toward the door. Dick felt the air leave his lungs. The rest of the banquet patrons clearly had no idea who the figure in the two-toned mask standing in the door, but context clues made clear that he was not here for the party.

"Hello, Officer Grayson. It certainly has been a while."

_Slade_

Kori shakily grabbed Dick's free hand to find his palms were just as clammy as hers. Jason on the other hand-

"Well, this just turned into one hell of a night!" Jason threw his hands up in aggravation. He reached into his inside coat pocket and held a handful of shurikens.

"Forty years old and still playing with toys?" Slade taunted him.

"Excuse you, I'm _thirty-nine_!" Jason barked back at him. "And look who's talking! You're still wearing that ridiculous get-up?!"

"Let's not fight if we don't have to." Slade held up his hand that held a small device.

"Good Lord, he's got a bomb!" Kit Matthews screamed in fear. The room erupted in chaos. Screams sounded from around the hall. People were diving under tables and some started looking for the exit. Chip Matthews drew his gun, ran as fast as he could from their table, and stood next Kori. Just as quickly, the members of GCPD quickly drew their guns that were concealed under their coats and pointed them at the madman.

"QUIET!" Slade yelled over the noise. He drew a gun from his own pocket with the other hand and shot it into the air.

"He has guns now?!" Jason yelled as he, Dick, and Kori dropped to the floor and the rest of the attendees did the same. Chip dropped down beside Kori kept his gun on Slade.

"Matthews, what are you doing?" Dick raised his head over Kori and barked at him. "Get out of here!"

"Not a chance," Chip answered. "You're my partner. I don't know what this guy wants with you, but I'm not letting him get near you." While he was still on his stomach, he reached across Kori and Dick and offered his hand to Jason without taking his eyes off Slade.

"Chip Matthews, and you are?"

"Jason Todd." Jason lifted his head and shook Chip's uncertainly.

"How sharp are those things?" Chip jerked his head towards the shurikens Jason was still gripping in his right hand.

"Lethal." Jason responded.

"Awesome." Chip nodded with a smile.

"This is quite touching," Slade mocked as he put his gun back in his pocket. "But I'm going to need to talk to the Grayson family _alone_."

Slade threw down the device and smoke enveloped the banquet hall within seconds. More screaming commenced and people started diving for the exits and a few people broke windows in an attempt to run. GCPD withdrew from firing for fear of hitting innocent civilians and instead, ushered out as many people as they could. Chip helped Kori up and Dick and Jason stood up as well.

"Where's the Bat when you need him?" Chip asked looking around the room

"Yeah, _where is he_?" Jason asked Dick directly. Dick was too panicked to answer or to even guess until. Kit suddenly appeared in the smoke and clung to Chip.

"Chip Matthews! I swear, if you ever pull a stunt like that again I will-

"Kit. Chip." Dick interrupted her. "You guys need to leave now."

"I can't leave you, Grayson." Chip argued.

"Think of your girls!" Kori screamed at him. "They would want their parents to return home tonight. Please go!"

"She's right, hon." Kit said with urgency. "We gotta leave."

Chip wrestled with himself for a few seconds and growled in frustration before he pulled Dick into a big hug.

"Call me, when you guys get out." He said to them.

"We will," Dick assured him. "Now go!"

The Matthewses looked at them once more before disappearing into the smoke.

"Don't I get a hug too?!" Jason called after them.

"Shut up, Jason." Dick rolled his eyes when the smoke started to clear around them. Slade slowly appeared in front of them. Jason wasted no time and threw several shurikens in his direction. Slade deflected them with the armor of his suit.

"Looks like you need to upgrade your toys." He mocked him.

"You are supposed to be dead!" Kori yelled her fists glowed with a green fury.

"She's right," Dick challenged. "If you were alive all this time, why show up now? After all these years?"

"Here's the thing," Slade narrowed his gaze. "I haven't died _yet_.

"Obviously!" Jason spat.

Slade walked toward them. "For some unknown reason, a group of meddling teenagers became my greatest enemy. Frankly, it's annoying."

"Can you please stop monologing so I can kick your ass?!" Jason rubbed his head.

"Anyway, Mrs. Grayson," Slade stopped and turned his attention to Kori. "A friend of yours is still a little ticked off, that you stole his time traveling equipment. Let's say he wants to settle up with you."

Kori racked her brain. "Warp?"

"I'm afraid so," Slade responded. The smoke continued to envelop them. Kori started to feel dizzy as if all the blood was rushing to her head. "How? He... he became and infant." She protested shaking. "I destroyed his device!"

"Babies grow up into adults and adults are still capable of holding grudges, Mrs. Grayson. When Warp approached me with the prospect of taking things a different direction, I have to admit he was onto something. Why fight with a group of teenagers, when I can talk this over with adults?"

Dick shook his head trying to understand the cryptic talk behind the murderous man's mask when it dawned on him.

"You haven't died yet... because you aren't from here. _From this time_. Are you?"

"Precisely." Slade nodded. "I have to say 2032 has not given me the warmest welcome. I will say, I'm sorry I didn't get to meet the famous Batman, but Warp informed me that he would most likely be a bit preoccupied with a certain lady tonight."

This is when Dick knew there would be no assistance from Batman tonight. In a few short seconds he was able to conclude that Bruce's date had been paid by Warp to seduce Bruce for the evening. If Warp knew that Bruce was actually the Batman and that he and Kori were actually who they were, there was no telling what else he knew about other vigilantes. But while this was concerning there was someone he was even more concerned about.

"What does this have to do with Mar'i!" Dick yelled. "I saw something. We all did. I know she's a part of this."

Slade seemed pleased by this inquiry.

"It seems your daughter has thrown a bit of a monkey wrench into the plan."

"How so..." Kori felt her starbolts burn a bit hotter.

"Warp constructed a similar device, the one in your hand, with the hunch that you would have the original somewhere. Seems he was correct, but as I said at the time, it was only a hunch. We had to be sure. However, thanks to Mr. Todd," He turned his gaze to Jason then back to the Graysons. "... we were able to lock down the location on your home. Warp contacted me when he arrived at your place of residence several moments ago only to find your clock _shattered_. Your daughter was nowhere to be found."

Kori felt herself grow nauseous and a quiet "No..." escaped her lips.

Slade confirmed her fear. "It seems Warp and I will have to do this the hard way. And if your daughter just so happens to get in our way, well... I can't be held responsible."

Kori unleased a stream of starbolts on Slade. Dick growled in fury and rushed Slade, but Slade was ready, he drew his gun and fired at Dick.

"NO!" Kori stopped shooting and flew forward pushing Dick out of the path of the bullet and the two fell to the floor. Jason bolted him as well with an anger he hadn't felt in years. In one swipe, he pulled an extendable bow staff from his back pocket and struck Slade in the shoulder. Slade stumbled backward slightly but only laughed when Jason returned for another strike, only to catch Jason by the wrist and throw him like a rag doll into one of the dining room tables.

"As much as I would love to tango with you all, it seems you're all a bit out of practice. And soon, _out of time_."

Dick and Kori raised their heads and met eyes with Slade who bent down and grabbed the clock Dick had dropped in his rage. He opened the clock face and wound the hands. In front of him, a familiar scene from Kori's memory played in real-time before her. A black portal opened in front of them as Slade walked toward it. Before he entered he turned and sneered,

"I do hope I will live to remember this moment. Until then, tick-tock, Graysons."

He disappeared into the void and the smoke cleared. The room that had just been illuminated with light suddenly felt darker than ever.


	16. Chapter 16

**9:30 am that morning; Titans Tower; 2006;**

"Hello?" her morning voice forced a groggy greeting.

"You overslept," Robin answered her flatly on the other end of the line.

Mar'i glanced at the time on the screen. Sure enough, it read 9:30 on the dot. Raven had suggested everyone try and catch a couple of hours of sleep if they could after the meeting. Mar'i found it a bit difficult considering she was furious at Robin, but she eventually fell into a deep REM cycle which her communicator rudely interrupted.

"I know you're still trying to gain your bearings here," Robin continued. "But I don't appreciate the tardiness. Set an alarm before you go to bed."

Mar'i sat up frowning at the screen and pushed a disheveled mess of hair out of her face.

"Will do." She answered shortly. What she wanted to do was scream at him for giving a time machine to a thief.

"You'll have already wasted 45 minutes of my time by the time you get here, so it looks like we'll have to improvise.

"To be fair, I didn't really ask for your time."

"Get dressed," Robin ordered. "Or... redressed?" Robin appeared to be studying her attire at which Mar'i looked down at her wrinkled clothing. She was still wearing the previous day's outfit.

"Have you been asleep since you got back from the mall yesterday?" Robin asked her raising an eyebrow.

"I suppose I have." Mar'i lied.

Robin's sighed.

"Just get to the gym as soon as you can."

The screen went black and Mar'i closed the communicator. She quickly threw her hair into a ponytail, donned her gym clothes, and headed to the elevator. As the elevator descended, Mar'i did her best to not stress about Red X. She didn't understand how Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy were so willing to trust him. But Robin had trusted him too - at least at one point in his life. He trusted him enough to give him a time machine for safekeeping, for goodness sake. How could he be so careless? She thought back to her workout with Robin the previous day when she caught glimpses of the person she knew as her dad. Mar'i then thought of Dick. He was the _furthest_ thing from careless. He was driven, thoughtful, firm yes, but kind. If Robin and Dick Grayson were the same, they _had_ to share those qualities, but after last night, Robin's actions were making that difficult to believe. What was her Dad was doing right now? Was time moving at the same pace for her parents as it was for her? Did they even know she was missing?

The elevator dinged and she exited toward the gym. Robin was there waiting and Starfire was also there sitting on the bench reviewing a file which Mar'i assumed was hers. Starfire looked up with an apologetic expression.

"I apologize for the "wearing you out" at the mall. Robin tells me you appeared quite exhausted from our outing yesterday."

Mar'i furrowed her brow uncertainly and glanced at Robin who had a surprising hint of compassion his face.

"After my first trip to the mall with her was... an experience," Robin explained. "I'll let this time slide. Just don't be late again."

_So he can be reasonable._

"Thanks," Mar'i cleared her throat thankful she had remained unscathed. "So what's the deal for today?"

Starfire looked up with a glimmer of joy on her face.

"I was hoping to work on flight with you today, but I gathered from out mall trip that you do not do well with heights. Am I correct in my assumption?

Starfire wasn't wrong. Just the reminder of the trip to and from the mall was enough to make her feel nauseous. If it wasn't for the anti-nausea medication, she probably would have puked all the way home.

"You're not wrong."

"Understood. I was explaining to Robin it might be good to acquaint you with being at a higher altitude first."

"Are you all going to throw me off a mountain or something?" Mar'i laughed nervously. She was joking, but a small part of her worried that might _actually_ be the lesson.

"Not quite," Robin smirked. "But I have something planned."

"Why does that make me nervous?" Mar'i raised an eyebrow.

Starfire closed the file and stood up. She seemed to be making her way toward the door.

"You shall do wonderfully."

"You're not coming?" Mar'i asked in confusion.

"Not this time," Starfire answered as she shook her head. "We spent a great deal of time together yesterday so I figured you needed 'the break.' I also have a meeting with Cyborg I must attend. I shall see you both later, yes?"

Robin nodded and Starfire left them. Mar'i shifted uncomfortably.

"Not what you were expecting, huh?" Robin said almost sympathetically as if seeing she wasn't looking forward to the one-on-one time.

"Well-"

"You don't have to like me, but whether you do or not, I'm here to help"

"I don't dislike you," Mar'i responded when a small smile escaped her. "I think I just like her a _bit_ more than you."

Robin gave a small laugh.

"Most people do."

* * *

Robin and Mar'i took the R-Cycle to the training course on the outskirts of the island. Mar'i was surprised at how much she enjoyed the short ride on the R-Cycle and the beautiful weather didn't hurt either. She rested her head on Robin's back and closed her eyes trying to imagine Dick was the one driving. She almost believed he was until Robin spoke to her over the wind.

"Don't get too comfortable,"

Mar'i lifted her head and saw the military climbing wall waiting for her. Her stomach dropped. She wasn't sure what she was expecting from this session, but needless to say, she wasn't expecting this.

It was a_ big_ wall.

Robin placed the R-cycle in park before dismounting and removing his helmet. Mar'i did the same and hung the helmet Robin lent her on one of the handlebars but kept her eyes fixed on the wall. He mused upon the panic in her face,

"It's not that scary,"

"How tall is it?"

"65 feet."

"_..._"

"The view's pretty up there."

"I hate it already."

"Let's make it to the top first, then you can decide if you hate it."

Robin walked to a small shed off to the side of the training course and returned with a harness in hand. He gave it to her.

"Put this on."

Robin motioned for Mar'i to follow him to the foot of the wall. Mar'i walked briskly after him attempting to put her harness on in the process until they reached the bottom, where a couple of ropes were waiting for them. Robin pulled on them a few times to check for secureness. After struggling to walk and put her harness on simultaneously, Mar'i finally had both legs in and Robin checked her straps to make sure they were tight. He went over a few safety tips with her before clipping her harness to one of the ropes and handing the rope to her. She took it from him hesitantly when it dawned on her:

"Wait, where's _your_ harness?"

"Don't need one," Robin answered without looking her as he pulled several times on his own rope.

"So I need a safety net and you don't?"

Robin appeared unconcerned. Mar'i even could have sworn she saw him trying to hide a cheeky grin

"I've done this a few times, and I have enough gadgets in this belt to cushion a fall." He pointed to his utility belt.

"You're insane."

"I'm prepared."

Okay, so Robin wasn't reasonable. He was mad.

"Ready?" He asked her.

Mar'i felt her mouth go dry as she looked up at the massive wall in front of her. She was absolutely _not_ ready. She closed her eyes trying to force the fear down. She opened them when she felt Robin's gloved hand on her shoulder.

"You can do this. I'll be here every step."

A familiar comfort washed over her despite her fear. It didn't make the fear go away, but his hand on her shoulder felt right. His grip was firm but gentle. It actually felt like her Dad. Maybe Dick Grayson was hiding under that mask somewhere - crazy as ever - but still there. She took another deep breath and looked up.

"Let's get this over with."

Robin grabbed hold of his rope and Mar'i did the same. He placed both feet on the wall to anchor himself. Mar'i did her best to follow suit and they started their ascent. They were roughly 10 feet off the ground when Mar'i was already starting to feel nauseous.

"Keep looking up," Robin grunted as they continued the climb. "You're doing great."

"I feel sick." Mar'i paused mid-climb and rested briefly on the harness. Robin, on the other hand, held firm to the rope. Mar'i looked over to him. His eyes were on her with a determinedness. His arms were shaking slightly, but he wasn't letting go. She started to feel guilty for letting him hang there uncomfortably, but she couldn't bring her feet to move.

"Let's talk about something to get your mind off the ground," Robin suggested.

"Uh, okay," Mar'i forced her right foot to ascend the wall as she forced down her nausea. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything. Tell me something about yourself."

"Uh alright," Mar'i swallowed some more potential vomit. "I'm really good at Chemistry."

"That's right," Robin responded while also continuing the climb. "Star mentioned to me you want to be a forensic scientist, right?"

Mar'i nodded as she kept her gaze upward. She didn't even want to know how far up she was now. _Focus, Mar'i._ Robin was right. Talking might help.

"I found out in junior high I had a knack for it so I started taking advanced placement classes to improve. They're kicking my butt. Not as much as this wall, but pretty close."

"I can't imagine," Robin responded and he reached up with his right hand. "I've never been great at science. That's one of the reasons we have Cyborg and Starfire on the team. So you stopped gymnastics to focus on that?"

"Yeah," Mari grunted. Her body was starting to ache while Robin appeared less strained. Almost like it was like second nature to him. Clearly, he _had_ done this a "few" times. She briefly wondered if her Dad could complete a climb like this today. She had never asked him about it, but he must have passed the physical portion of his police exam with flying colors.

"It must have been hard for you to give up a hobby you love."

"It's worth it." Mar'i responded with a heavy breath. "My city is full of crime. I want to help one day."

"And what city are you from?"

Dang it. She said too much. _Wait._ She saw what he was doing.

"I can't remember..."

"Right..." Robin breathed as he lifted another arm and grabbed hold of his rope.

"Sorry." Mar'i responded.

She wasn't sorry. She had to keep her answers vague.

"I understand wanting to help your city," Robin paused his climb for a brief moment to catch his breath and looked at her. "I'm assuming you know I'm not from Jump?"

"You're the _Boy Wonder_. It's pretty clear where you're from."

"It's also pretty clear to me that you still have some of your memory." Robin countered, knowingly. "You're just not willing to talk."

She paused her climb as well and rested on the harness to face him. Two could play this interrogation game.

"Okay," Mar'i gripped her rope a bit tighter. "If you're going to make me climb a wall and ask me personal questions, it's only fair you return the favor, right?"

Robin gave her an amused smirk.

"What would you want to know about me? Anything you want to know, you can find in the paper." He started his ascent again and Mar'i followed, realizing she was beginning to feel the sweat on her forehead.

"I don't read the paper."

"You should."

"I'm pretty sure you're the only teenager I know who reads the paper."

"I'm not like most teenagers if you haven't noticed." Robin answered and continued climbing at a slightly faster pace than Mar'i expected. She forced herself to move.

"Why did you leave Gotham?"

"You really want to know?"

"I do."

"I was ready for a change," He responded without any further explanation.

"Why do I have a feeling that's not the whole truth?"

"So _I'm_ not being truthful now? You're a gymnast turned aspiring scientist. Why gymnastics?"

"I wanted to do ballet but my dad-" She stopped mid-sentence and mentally slapped herself. _Way to go, Mar'i. Way to carelessly step into the dangerous territory of telling Robin about well... himself._ She could only pray he wasn't really listening.

"You're dad, what?" Robin asked her as a few drops of sweat started to form on his brow.

_Great._

"He- He thought I had too much energy for ballet, so he recommended gymnastics instead." She quickly asked, "Were you always a vigilante?" before he could ask her anything else.

_"_Most of my life, but not always," Robin responded with a raised eyebrow. "So what does do your dad do?"

"I can't remember."

"I think you do."

"Fine... He's an accountant."

"You're lying."

Mar'i huffed in frustration and stopped mid-climb again.

"I answered your question, now it's my turn."

Robin stopped next to her.

"Alright, what do you have for me?"

Mar'i thought briefly. She wanted to ask him more questions than she could count - like why he gave Red X a time machine? Obviously, that question was off the table, at least for right now. What _did_ she want to know?

"How... how did you meet Starfire?"

Robin wasn't as quick to respond. He waited for a beat before answering.

"Same as the others. She crashed here. No more breaks. We're almost to the top."

He continued climbing without a word, but she wasn't going to let him get off so easily on this one. There was more to the story. She knew it by the way they looked at each other when one of them entered a room. It was the way Dick and Kori looked at each other, although these versions of her parents seem to be dancing around some awkward tension that Mar'i couldn't seem to pinpoint. She could be just as persistent. She began climbing a little faster to keep up with him. They were probably 30 feet from the top and that meant she had 30 feet to get to bottom of this.

"Details!" She demanded.

"Why?" Robin grunted back as his body was straining forward.

"I like details."

"I'll give you the news article if you're so interested," Robin responded exasperatedly.

"I don't read the paper! Why are you being so weird about this?"

"What do you have against the newspaper?"

"Print is dead, Robin!" Mar'i felt like she was scrambling after him now. "Seriously, it's a new world now. Go paperless! Honestly, this makes sense why your office is such a disaster!"

Robin paused briefly and looked at her.

"What are you talking about?"

"Uh..."

_Shoot._

"I don't have an office."

"I mean... your room."

"You've been in my room?!"

"No! It's... I just imagine it's trashed in black and white! Am I wrong?"

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Robin pried. "Among many other things?"

Mar'i stared at him uncertain of what to say next. There were probably 20 feet to go at this point. She looked up and an idea came to mind. _Here goes something._ Mar'i began frantically clawing her way up. Robin blinked in surprise before he started climbing after her.

"What are you doing?"

Mar'i took the briefest pause from her climb to see she was a few inches ahead of him.

"If I make it to the top first, you tell me how you and Starfire met!"

"That's not-"

"What? Scared you're going lose?"

If Robin was Dick and Dick was Robin, Mar'i imagined they had to share the same competitive streak. Robin processed the information before cracking a smile confirming her suspicions.

"You're on, but if I make it first, you have to answer one of my questions. _Truthfully_. Got it?"

She hadn't considered the counter offer. Thankfully, she was just as competitive.

"Got it. "First one to the top tells all!"

The two started climbing the last 20 feet significantly faster. Mar'is forearms and thighs continued to burn and shake but she pushed through the pain. Robin was finally starting to look like he was struggling. Only a little bit, but it made Mar'i feel good to see he wasn't so invincible after all. _15 feet._ _10 feet. 5 more feet._ She tried to fight the temptation to look to how far ahead or behind he was. She had to keep looking forward. Finally, her hand felt the top of the platform. She was about to pull herself up when her hand slipped from fatigue. She wanted to scream but nothing came out because Robin was quick to swing to her side and grabbed her waist, pulling them both onto the platform. Mar'i rolled onto her back and stared at the sky above trying to bring her heart rate down. Robin squatted down next to her.

"Are you okay?"

"That was horrible." Mar'i groaned as she covered her face with her hands.

"You were the one who suggested a race."

She peeked through her fingers at him, afraid to hear the results of their race.

"I lost didn't I?"

Robin didn't answer at first. Instead, he stood up and extended his hand to her.

"Too close to call."

Mar'i was taken aback as she grabbed his hand and stood to her feet.

"I feel like you're just saying that to make me feel better."

"I'm feeling generous," Robin said. "Who's to say, maybe you'll be able to climb it without the harness next time."

"Highly unlikely,"

"True. Star will have you flying in no time."

Mar'i let out a fake laugh

"We'll see. But I doubt that."

"You doubt yourself too much." He put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Seriously, nice work, Mar'i."

Mar'i couldn't help but smile feeling his hand on her shoulder again.

"Thanks."

Robin removed his hand and looked at the expanse from the platform. Mar'i followed his gaze and felt her breath leave her body. He was right. The view was beautiful. She had never seen water so blue and they could see the outline of the city along with a few ships on the horizon. Why would her family ever want to leave this place for Gotham?

"Wow," was all she could muster.

"I thought you hated it." Robin joked.

"I take it back. This is... breathtaking."

Robin nodded in agreement.

"If you think this is gorgeous, you should see the view from the top of the tower. You should watch the sunset from there sometime."

"I'll pass," Mar'i snorted a laugh. "I like to conquer only one large infrastructure a day, thank you very much."

"Suit yourself." Robin shrugged and sat on the edge of the platform, letting his legs hand off the side. Mar'i wasn't sure why, but despite her fear of falling, sat down next to him. She clutched the harness making sure it was still attached for good measure.

"It is trashed," Robin said out of the blue.

"What?"

"My room," Robin clarified. "When you mentioned it was trashed, you were right. I have a lot of files and papers to keep track of. It's kind of a nightmare."

"Sounds like you need a vacation," Mar'i said. "... or a nap."

"You know I slept for 8 hours straight last night?" Robin said to her. "I can't remember the last time I slept that long."

"You're kidding, right?" Mar'i cocked her head to look his direction. "That's not normal ya, know?"

"Yeah... normal..." Robin said to himself as if the word had a left a bad taste in his mouth. "Nothing about my life is normal, Mar'i. Same goes for the rest of the team."

Mar'i let the weight of his statement sink in. Were her parents and their friends completely robbed of a childhood? Is this why they never told her about their past? The two were silent for a moment as the watched the water before the moment was interrupted by Robin.

"I'm sorry."

Mar'i did a double-take his direction. Did he just _apologize?_

"Sorry for what?" She asked him.

Robin clarified. "The other day. When Red X broke into the Tower. I'm sorry for yelling."

Mar'i paused not sure how to respond.

"I want to trust you, Mar'i," Robin continued. "I do. But I know you're lying. Maybe not about everything, but you still are."

"I didn't know I had powers." Mar'i reiterated.

"I know that now," Robin affirmed. "There's something else, though. And Red X has an interest in you, can you see why that looks suspicious?"

Mar'i was silent. She couldn't argue with him, but she didn't have a plausible lie to feed him.

"I understand," She said.

"What you need to understand the last time someone in our house lied to us, my team almost got hurt."

Mar'i's shoulders dropped knowingly as she saw the plaque on her bedroom door in her mind.

"Terra?"

"Yeah," Robin confirmed. "You know what happened to her? She died. And she almost took me and my team down with her."

"But Beast Boy said-"

"What Beast Boy told you about her was true." Robin cut her off. "She was our friend and in the end, she didn't die in vain. But the damage was done. So when I thought you put one of my team members in danger-"

"You mean when you thought I put _her_ in danger." Mar'i looked at him. "Don't you?"

"The point is," Robin didn't respond, but the answer was clear. "I'm just worried about the safety of my team and I'm going to get to the bottom of all of this. But... I am sorry for yelling."

"Forgiven." Mar'i said unsure of how to respond to the rest.

"So," He changed the subject snapping her out of her own head. "Since it was too close to call, I suppose we both get a question, right?"

"Really?" Mar'i asked.

"Why not?" Robin sighed.

Mar'i shifted to face him. She tried to hide her excitement but she was failing miserably.

"How'd you meet her?"

"Can I ask you why you want to know so badly?"

"Is that your one question for me?" Mar'i poked back.

"No," Robin resonded. "I just don't understand why you're so interested."

Mar'i straightened up and wondered how to answer him truthfully. _Because you never told me._

"Well, I suppose I'm curious. You two seem... close."

"She's my friend." He answered matter-of-factly.

_Bull crap._

"Seems like a little more than a friend to me."

"She's a friend." He reiterated.

_Dad, if you friendzone Mom, I swear to god._

"If she's just a friend then you should have no problem telling me how you met."

Robin shifted uneasily and looked away from her.

"Do you want the long version or the short version?"

Mar'i crossed her arms. "I told you I liked the details. Let's go long."

"How about I give you somewhere in between?" Robin looked at her again. "I'm not the best storyteller."

"I guess I'll take what I can get at this point."

Robin put his hands on his knees and took a deep breath.

"I moved to Jump City four years ago... As I said, I needed a change. My mentor... I suppose you know who I'm talking about... we had a bit of a falling out. I wanted to take on more responsibility but he didn't think I was ready. So I left."

Mar'i couldn't believe she what she was hearing. Her dad had a falling out with _Batman_? THE Batman?!

"You just left like that?" Mar'i asked as she restrained all the questions from spilling out like a waterfall.

"Pretty much," Robin affirmed. "My first day in town was a huge wake-up call. You can imagine how jarring it was to be met with an alien invasion."

"Good grief..." Mar'i rested her head in her hands.

"It was a lot," Robin agreed with her. "And I was _way_ in over my head. Thankfully, I met the rest of the team. They were trying to figure their own stuff out too. We took them on together."

"So Starfire was part of the invasion?!"

"No. She was trying to escape from them," Robin explained. "I didn't know that at the time though. All I saw was an extremely strong girl trying to take down the pizza joint."

"What do you mean take down the pizza joint?" Mar'i cocked her head.

"Exactly what I mean. She's really is stronger than she looks."

"... Oh."

"Anyway, we fought. She almost killed me a couple of times. " Robin laughed to himself although Mar'i couldn't understand why he found it so funny. "Thankfully Cyborg and Beast Boy rescued me from a couple of close calls."

"She tried to kill you?!" Mar'i was in disbelief.

"She was feeling threatened. And it's not like we could have a conversation about it. We didn't exactly speak the same language."

"But you speak the same language now and live in the same house! You obviously worked it out!"

Robin paused before shifting uncomfortably again.

"You could say that."

"Robin," _Dad..._"Just spill it."

Robin squinted his eyes as if remembering the moment.

"She kissed me."

Mar'i's jumped to her feet with eyes a big a saucers.

"WHAT?!"

In her enthusiasm, she lost her balance almost slipping off the platform. She made a very unladylike screech as Robin grabbed her wrist to steady her.

"Sit. Now." He ordered her, perturbed. She quickly did as she was told and Robin rubbed his forehead as if stressed by the conversation.

"It's not what you think," Robin explained.

"But she-"

"It's how her people- _your people_-" He emphasized. "... learn languages in case you can't remember. It was a language transfer."

"You're not serious?" Mar'i scoffed.

"I am."

"If it was a language transfer then why does she talk so... different?"

"I couldn't tell you the exact reason but it was... quick. She might have just picked up the basics."

Mar'i couldn't believe what she was hearing. She also couldn't believe how many Spanish tests she could have passed if she had known this information prior to being swept back in time.

"Is that why you both have been acting so strange?" Mar'i came back to their conversation. "That was four years ago. Surely-"

"We never talk about it," Robin stopped her. "At least, we hadn't until the night you showed up."

"Maybe you should talk about it!" Mar'i encouraged. "I can tell she's special to you."

Robin broke his gaze from the cityscape and looked at her with a perplexed expression. "Are you giving me relationship advice?

"No. I'm just saying think about it."

Robin turned back to the cityscape. "Sounds like relationship advice."

"Isn't a relationship what you want?"

"It's complicated, Mar'i. Not to mention there's a lot at stake if we were to... It could be dangerous."

"But she's worth it, right?"

"We can't. I think she knows that too."

"But it's what you want!" She stood up again and stamped her foot in frustration.

This was weird. This conversation was supposed to be the other way around with her sitting on her bed in the distant future crying over some jerk boy and Dick offering the advice. Instead, here she was on top of a wall meddling in her teenage parent's potential love life. Mar'i scolded herself for pressing the issue, but she couldn't help it. Fear of tampering the future was there but she shouldn't let him do this to himself!

"I know she wants it too." Mar'i said unyieldingly.

"No, you don't know," Robin stood to face her. "She's told me twice in the last two days she's considering going back to Tameran." He paused as if pained by the last sentence.

"What?" Mar'i said as alarm washed over her.

"She might go back if the team disbands in a few years."

"But- but she can't!" Mar'i protested. "Why would she even consider that?!"

"We all made an agreement when we started the Titans. Each of us could make the decision for ourselves to either remain in the vigilante network or choose civilian life once we turn 18."

"Okay, so what does going back to Tamaran have to do with any of that?"

"She's worried if we all go our own way that she won't adjust well, specifically as a civilian if that's what she chooses. I've told her I can help her but that hasn't seemed to sway her."

"Maybe she doesn't _just_ want your help? She wants_ you_!"

"Stop assuming what she wants."

"I'm not assuming! Mar'i countered."It's what she wants. I know it!"

"You know nothing about her." His voice was firm. "You've only spent two days with her.

"I know more than you think I do!" Mar'i spat back. "And I know you want her too."

Robin's opened his mouth but quickly closed it as if he was searching for the words.

"I'm right aren't I?" Mar'i pressed him. _Of course, I am._

"In the end," Robin started. "It's not about what I want or don't want."

"So if she leaves, what are you going to do?" Mar'i threw her hands up. "Keep being Robin for the rest of your life?

"I don't know. But she needs to do what she thinks is best. No matter how difficult it is."

"Have you ever considered that maybe _you're_ what's best for her?!

"Stop."

"That you're both what's best for each other?!"

"Stop!" He said a little louder and held a hand up. Mar'i's frustration was now starting to escape in the form of tears. Robin narrowed his eyes at her as if trying to conjure a response. He rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath.

"Mar'i... I'm done talking about this with you. I don't know why you're so worked up about it, but it's clear I shouldn't have told you any of this."

"I'm worked up because I can't let you act like she's not the most important person in the world to you!" She spat through her tears.

"Just stop please." Robin almost sounded like he was begging.

"No! You can't just ignore this!

Robin rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"I've answered your question and told you way more than you needed to know. Now it's my turn. Answer me truthfully, Mar'i. I need to know: where are you from?"

"You can't let her leave!"

"Tell me where you're from." He asked again, unwavering.

"I can't watch you both do this to yourselves!" Mar'i cried. "Do you really see your future without her?!"

"Mar'i," Robin's voice was gravely low causing her to stop. He looked at her and took a deep breath as if trying to keep himself composed. His face was like stone. "I won't ask again. Where are you from?"

Mar'i was overwhelmed and she attempted to choke back tears. This isn't supposed to happen. Her mom is supposed to stay. She's supposed to marry her Dad. Did this conversation just ruin any chances of her own survival? Or did her traveling here mess things up before she even met the Titans? The future was probably so screwed at this point. She was exhausted, afraid and tired of lying. What did it matter now if Robin knew where she was from. Her the lump in her throat released a tear-filled croak.

"Gotham... I'm from Gotham."

* * *

**12:00pm; Titans Tower; 2006**

"You did what?!" Raven yelled as her desk lamp shattered.

"Raven, I'm sorry." Mar'i stood with her head down in the middle of Raven's room, eyes still swollen from her tears. "I know it was a mistake, but you don't understand-"

"This is more than a mistake!" Raven said. "You gave him some of the most important information about yourself! You know he's probably doing a search on you right now?"

"He doesn't know my last name." Mar'i answered just above a whisper.

"It doesn't matter." Raven rubbed her forehead. "Robin's smart. He already knew you were lying then you _confirmed_ it! I'm pretty sure a fake last name isn't going to throw him off."

Mar'i didn't respond. She didn't have an excuse. Raven ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath to calm herself. When they heard pounding on the door.

"Who is it?!" Raven hissed.

"_Me!_" They heard Beast Boy's voice on the other side. "_My console just exploded! I know it was you!"_

Raven marched over to the door and to an enraged Beast Boy.

"You owe me a GameStation!" He pointed to Raven. "What's going on?!"

He let out an "aack!" as she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in her room, closing the door behind them.

"Mar'i told Robin she's from Gotham. That's what's going on."

Beast Boy also looked equally as panicked.

"Dude, are you crazy?!" He flailed his arms. "Do you want to get caught?!"

"For once, Beast Boy and I can agree on something." Raven said to Mar'i. "Why would you blow your cover like that?"

"I'm tired of lying!" Mar'i groaned. "And you weren't there. He was questioning me and I was stressed..."

"I know it's stressful," Raven answered a little more sympathetically. "But you can't tell him- either of them- anything else. We're _hopefully_ going to hear back from X tonight. It's possible he may have some information for us." Raven pulled out her communicator and started typing a message. "I'll ask Cyborg to do some computer work to hinder Robin's search, but no promises."

"Thanks," Mar'i murmured as she took a seat on Raven's bed. Raven finished typing the message and Beast Boy took a seat next to her.

"Looks like he put you through the wringer." Beast Boy said.

"The wall ended up being the least of my concern." Mar'i answered.

Raven, put the communicator away. She was hesitant at first, but she eventually sat on the other side of Mar'i sensing something more was going on.

"What did you two talk about?" She asked.

"Did you guys know he's going to let her go?" Mar'i looked to Raven then Beast Boy. "He's going to let her go back to Tameran."

Raven and Beast Boy exchanged a look

"What do you mean?" Raven questioned. Mar'i stood back up and started pacing.

"He told me about your agreement. Of when you all turn 18. He says instead of staying in your network or choosing civilian life, that she's going to go back home. And he's just going to let her!"

"Please," Beast Boy let out a laugh. "Star wouldn't leave Earth. At least not for good. She's been here, for what? The last four years? And even when we visited Tameran she ready to come home after the second day!"

Mar'i stopped pacing.

"You've been to her planet?!"

"Yeah, she got engaged." Beast Boy gave her a no-nonsense response.

"What?! To who?!"

"It's a long story," Raven waved a hand dismissing their side conversation and bringing them back to the issue at hand. "But Beast Boy is right, Starfire gets homesick but she's never mentioned wanting to go home permanently."

"Well, apparently she has," Mar'i stressed. "At least to Robin. And he's acting like he's not going to do anything to stop her! Why can't he just man up and tell her how he feels?!" Mar'i gave an irritated huff. "Honestly, why can't they both?"

Raven gave Mar'i another sympathetic look before standing up and reaching into her cloak. She handed Mar'i the photo of Robin and Starfire. Mar'i grasped it and Raven pointed at the subjects.

"Look at this," Raven told her. "Who do you see?"

"My parents."

"That's the thing," Raven told her. "They're not your parents yet. They're _teenagers_. We all are." She gestured to herself and Beast Boy. "We're teenagers with a very abnormal life, but teenagers nonetheless. We're all working through their own stuff: emotions, family, relationships... You can't expect Robin to act the way your dad would and you can't expect Starfire to do the same."

Mar'i studied the film in her hand. Okay, so Raven was wiser than she thought. She was right. But that still didn't take the fear away. The "what if." What if Robin did nothing? What if her parents never became her parents? The concept of surviving this ordeal was starting to feel slim either way.

"She's right," Beast Boy agreed as he stood to join them. "And if we know Robin. He's not going to let her go. You know jumped on the bottom a freaking alien spaceship to save her once?!"

"Seriously?" Mar'i looked up. "I feel like you're making this up."

"For once, he is being serious," Raven admitted.

Mar'i sighed before handing the photo back to Raven.

"Thanks for the perspective. I just need to know they're going to be okay."

"They will," Raven assured her as she stowed the photo. "As Cyborg said, you're evidence of that."

"Unless I cease to exist. By the way, where is Cyborg?"

"With Starfire," Raven answered. "I have a feeling they're having a Robin-centric conversation as well."

"Hey, you never did say," Beast Boy chimed in. "How did Robin react when you told him where you were from."

Mar'i shrugged trying to recount the incident.

"He was quiet. Didn't say much. We drove back to the tower where he parked in the garage. He left me there."

"Probably went to do a search on your information," Raven said to herself as she grabbed her communicator again from her cloak to check the time. "Hopefully Cyborg is able to work some magic before Robin gets in too deep."

"I thought magic was your thing." Mar'i joked.

"I work with spells, not computer software. And speaking of spells, I desperately need to meditate after this conversation."

"That's our cue to leave," Beast Boy whispered to Mar'i before turning to Raven. "You still own me a GameStation."

Raven opened the door with her energy and Beast Boy levitated against his will

"Put it on my bill." She placed her hood over her head before tossing him outside. Mar'i, for fear of being thrown out as well followed him and the door shut behind them. Mar'i helped Beast Boy up

"What do you think you and Raven will do?" Mar'i asked him.

"I'm not doing anything!" He protested as he dusted himself off. "What _she's_ going to do is replace my GameStation."

"Not that!" Mar'i explained. "About your agreement. Will you stay in the network? Or will you choose civilian life?"

Beast Boy gave Mar'i an amused look.

"Me and Raven?!" He cackled. " Us civies? Have you see us?!" Beast Boy pointed to himself and then to Raven's door. "We don't exactly blend in."

"Sure, but there's technology that could disguise your complections" Mar'i shrugged. "At least where I'm from. Just give it a few years!"

"Eh..." Beast Boy gave an uncertain look. "I can't think that far ahead. S'ides, I don't know if I want to hide who I am from the world."

Mar'i went quiet. His reasoning made sense.

"I get that. But why do you think my parents- your friends - why did they hide?"

Beast Boy was silent for a moment.

"I dunno, Mar'i. But we're going to find out. Promise."


	17. Chapter 17

**Robin's Room; Titan's Tower; 2006**

Robin shut the door to his room and threw Mar'i's file on his desk. He took a couple of deep breaths. He felt frazzled, angry with himself for sharing such personal information he didn't want or intend to share. But for some reason, he let his guard down and it hurt more than he anticipated. It was almost like the more he tried to forget about the future... the possibility of Starfire leaving... it kept coming up - and this time from Mar'i no less.

Oh right.

Mar'i.

_Gotham._

She was from Gotham.

He sat down at his desk and reached into the bottom drawer where the previous night he pulled out the sleeve of cookies. This time, he pulled out an unmarked laptop and opened it on his desk. He logged onto the Titans Network and hopped on Gotham City's site for Vital Records. Instead, he was met on an onslaught of pop-ups then the site crashed. After refreshing the page and searching her name again, the search came up blank. He attempted to access the page for 30 minutes before giving up. It occurred to him that he could call the Vital Records office, but he knew it would be ages before he would be able to get a clerk on the phone.

But there was one other option.

He logged off the Titan's Network grabbed a thumb drive from his bottom desk drawer. Once the thumb drive was connected to the internet, he signed into a classified chatroom on a private browser and checked the clock on his computer.

_11:30. It must be about 2:30 for her._

"Please be online..." He said to himself. He checked the sidebar to see if her name was there. Good. She was online. He opened the chat and started typing:

**D. Grayson:** Need you to do a records search.

* * *

A few seconds went by before she responded.

* * *

**B.**** Gordon: **[B. Gordon is typing...]

Most people start with "hello," ya dick.

* * *

Robin huffed before replying.

* * *

**D. Grayson: **Fine.

HELLO.

And I thought we got past the cheap name shots.

**B. Gordon:** That's more like it.

[B. Gordon is typing...]

And we're NEVER going to get past those cheap shots.

Too easy.

**D. Grayson:** Name search for "Mar'i Griswold"

**B. Gordon: **How are things?

Any fun stories from your T-shaped fortress?

**D. Grayson:** Just look up the name.

**B.** **Gordon:** [B. Gordon is typing...]

You haven't touched base in weeks!

Are you seriously just messaging me for a records search?

[B. Gordon is typing...]

You can look this information up yourself ya, know?

**D. Grayson: **Having some connection issues.

Would it help if I said, "please?"

**B. Gordon: **[B. Gordon is typing...]

Not doing anything until you tell me what's up.

**D. Grayson:** A girl showed up at the tower a few days ago.

"Mar'i Griswold"

16\. Sophomore. Says she's from Gotham.

Does the name ring a bell?

**B Gordon:** [B. Gordon is typing...]

Weird.

No one at Gotham High with that name.

**D. Grayson:** Says she takes AP Chemistry.

**B. Gordon: **I'm not in any Chem classes.

I'll do a search.

[B. Gordon is typing...]

You got me a good time - at the station with Dad.

But it might take a minute.

**D. Grayson:** I got time.

I thought you'd be at school.

**B. Gordon:** [B. Gordon is typing...]

You're one to talk.

**D. Grayson: **Did Gordon let you skip?

**B. Gordon:** No.

[B. Gordon is typing...]

Shadowing Detective Powers today.

This would normally be my study hall period. Got an exemption.

**D. Grayson:** Shadowing?

**B. Gordon: **Yep.

[B. Gordon is typing...]

Mostly consists of coffee runs and filing.

But I get to do my homework here in the breakroom so that's nice.

**D. Grayson:** Interesting.

Considering a career in law enforcement?

**B. Gordon:** What can I say? It runs in the family.

Dad's excited, but is trying to play it cool.

**D. Grayson: **I can imagine.

**B. Gordon: **Figured I can't keep playing dress-up forever, right?

K. Give me a few minutes.

I'll ping you one way or another.

* * *

Robin leaned back in his chair and waited for a response. It wasn't long before his computer _dinged. _

* * *

**B. Gordon:** I got nothing. Plenty of Griswolds, but no "Mar'is"

[B. Gordon is typing...]

Are you SURE that's the correct spelling?

Or the correct name...

**D. Grayson:** Just telling you what she told me.

Try "Mary"

**B. Gordon:** Oh, so that's how you say it.

Hold on, let me modify the search.

[B. Gordon is typing...]

No teenagers in Gotham with that name.

All older folks.

* * *

Robin rubbed his forehead in frustration before responding. Another dead end.

* * *

**D. Grayson:** Figures.

Thanks for looking.

**B. Gordon:** No problem.

[B. Gordon is typing...]

When are you coming to visit?

**D. Grayson:** Not sure.

**B. Gordon: **You never are.

**D. Grayson:** ...

Gotta go.

Thanks for the help.

**B. Gordon:** Anytime.

But you need to work on your greetings.

**D. Grayson:** Noted.

* * *

Robin was about to sign off when his chat _dinged_ again.

* * *

**B. Gordon:** Wait!

[B. Gordon is typing...]

Got a picture of her?

The girl?

* * *

Robin thought for a moment before switching from the private browser back to the Titan Network. He didn't have a picture, but the security cameras might.

* * *

**D. Grayson:** Maybe.

**B. Gordon:** Cool.

* * *

He pulled up the live feed from the four main cameras: Camera A in the hallway outside his, Starfire, and Cyborg's rooms showed nothing so he moved to Camera B. Camera B - the common room camera - showed Starfire sitting at the kitchen island. Her back was to the camera so Robin couldn't see her face. He _wished_ she would turn around. Robin was tempted to linger on the camera feed but the conversation with Mar'i played through his head. The pain of that conversation washed over him forcing him to move to Camera C. _Ding!_

* * *

**B. Gordon:** Anytime now, Wonder Boy.

**D. Grayson: **Give me a sec...

* * *

Robin groaned and switched to Camera C's feed which was outside the garage where he left Mar'i earlier. No one was there, so he moved onto the Camera D outside Beast Boy's and Raven's rooms. Thankfully, he got what he needed. The camera showed Beast Boy having a conversation with Mar'i outside Raven's door. Beast Boy looked aggravated, shaking his fist towards Raven's door which was not an unusual occurrence considering Raven and Beast Boy's relationship.

The two exchanged a few words and Mar'i seemed to calm him down. Beast Boy gave Mar'i a squeeze on the shoulder before gesturing her to follow him. and they walked out of the frame. Robin rewound the feed and paused it to take a screenshot. He zoomed in on Mar'is face and uploaded the image to the chat feed.

* * *

**D. Grayson:** This is her.

Look familiar?

**B. Gordon: **Um...

[B. Gordon is typing...]

...

[B. Gordon is typing...]

...

[B. Gordon wants to **video chat.**]

* * *

Robin sighed when the video icon popped up. He answered it and was met with a wide-eyed Barbra still in her school uniform, sitting in the middle of a GCPD break room.

* * *

"Oh. my. _gosh._" Barbra breathed as she took a sip of coffee from a foam cup.

"So you know her?!" Robin asked her.

Barbra frowned and shook her head.

"Of course I don't know her!"

"Then why are you calling?!"

"She looks _exactly_ like you!"

"You called to tell me _that_?" Robin raised an eyebrow.

"YES!" Barbara exclaimed as she pointed to the picture on her screen. "It's uncanny! You asked me if she looked familiar. I mean... the _hair_!"

"A lot of people have dark hair."

"It's not just that!" Barbara reiterated. "Even her facial features. You can't tell me you don't see it too."

"How much caffeine have you had on your coffee runs?" Robin asked accusingly.

"I'm not calling to talk about my caffeine consumption," She quipped. "Do you have a sister you've never told me about?"

"No."

"Are you _sure_?"

"Positive."

"Cousins? Distant relatives?"

"Barbara..."

"_Alright..."_

"What exactly are you suggesting?"

"Nothing at all!" Barbara shook her head honestly. She set her coffee cup on the table before crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. "But all I'm saying is, I think I found Dick Grayson's doppelganger."

Robin breathed a sigh of mild frustration and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "This is ridiculous."

"You're ridiculous." Barbara grabbed her coffee cup and took another swig.

"Are you always this helpful?" Robin asked sarcastically.

"Hey! I looked up the name for you." She pointed at him through the camera. "Anyway, so now that I got you, what's the deal with this girl? She just... showed up?"

"Essentially," Robin said. "The others found her in Beast Boy's room a couple of nights ago around 2:00 or 3:00 am. Unfortunately, that's all the detail I have. I wasn't there."

"And where were you at 2:00 am...?" Barbara questioned.

"Patrol."

"Hmm. Typical."

"There was an attack last week, and I wanted to make sure the boardwalk was secure."

"Of course."

"But when we got back that night-"

"We?" Barbara asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought the others were at home."

"... Starfire came with me."

"_Oh_," Barbra smiled knowingly as she took another sip of coffee.

"Don't," Robin warned her. "Just don't."

"I didn't say anything." Barbara put a hand up in defense.

"Anyway," Robin moved on ignoring her suggestive undercut. "We got back and Mar'i was in the clinic with the others. Raven said she had a concussion."

"Weird," Barbara said. "And they didn't learn anything about her while you were out?"

"Only her name and age," Robin said rubbing his forehead again. "Then to make matters worse, we had a break in the next day-"

"Do you need a security upgrade?" Barbara interrupted him with clear worry. "I can tell Bruce."

"No," Robin stopped her. "Security isn't the issue. The guy uses Xenothium to get around. No amount of security is going to help."

"... How do you not sleep with one eye open?"

"Easy. I don't sleep."

"Okay, so did you catch the thief?" Barbara prompted.

"No," Robin shook his head. "It was Red X."

"Oh that guy?!" Barbara snickered. "He's the one who took your suit, right?"

"You don't have to keep bringing that up..." Robin frowned at her. "The point is, he broke in and has a real interest in Mar'i. Oh and here's the kicker..."

"I love kickers." Barbara sat up straight, intrigued now. "What do ya got?"

"Mar'i blasted him. With starbolts. She's Tamaranean."

Barbara leaned forward in her chair and spat her coffee onto the keyboard. The video feed was blurry for a moment.

"Classy, Babs..."

"Tamaranean?!" Barbara coughed as she wiped off her camera. "Like Starfire?!"

"Yeah," Robin said. "They seem to have the same abilities, but Mar'i doesn't know how to use her powers or... can't remember how. I don't know which. Star and I have been trying to work with her to see if it will help clear her head, but I know she knows more than she's letting on."

"Hold on a second," Barbara said, stopping him. She started to frantically type on her computer.

"What are you doing?" Robin asked her.

"Looking for a picture of Starfire." Barbara's eyes were locked on her computer screen. "Does your newspaper have any recent articles I could access?"

"The paper hasn't written anything on the team in a while," Robin answered. "I have a photo I can send you."

"Of course you do." Barbara wiggled her eyebrows suggestively

"Quit it," He scolded her. "I have the team's ID photos on file." Robin clicked on another folder on his desktop and pulled up the team IDs. He sent Starfire's picture over to Barbara.

"Why do you want-"

"Shh!" Barbara silenced him as she studied Starfire's photo. "Hmm... interesting."

"What?"

Barbara said nothing before she looked back at Robin cautiously.

"Suggestion. Maybe run a DNA analysis on... Mar'i, was it? I've only done a little research on Tamaranean culture. As you know, I'm far more knowledgable about Kryptonians..."

"I'm aware." Robin nodded.

"But, in the research, I _have_ done, I've seen that all Tamaraneans essentially look the same, am I right?"

"Okay? Racist much?" Robin smirked disapprovingly.

"No," Barbara said. "What I mean is, I've seen photos. They have very distinct features. Red hair and green eyes, right?"

"I mean, Star has a sister who has black hair but, according to Starfire, that's not the norm."

"Exactly," Barbara said. "I have Mar'i's photo next to Starfire's. I see Tamaranean resemblance for sure, but..."

"I don't understand where you're going with this."

"Have you considered that maybe Mar'i isn't _just_ Tamaranean?" Barbara asked him. "Maybe that's why she doesn't know how to use her abilities?"

Robin leaned back in his chair attempting to grasp the question.

"She's biracial, Robin." Barbara was blunt. "I suspect one human parent and one Tameranean. You should run a test on her."

"You think so?" Robin asked apprehensively.

"Frankly, I'm surprised you haven't done this already," Barbara responded. "You already have a Tameranean living under your roof who might share similar DNA with her. Compare her DNA to Starfire's. I know Cyborg's database is extensive enough to track down anyone. Whatever discrepancies you find might help you locate at least one parent."

"But what if she's an exception?" Robin questioned. "Like Star's sister?"

"Well, then you'd know for sure, right?" Barbara said. "It's not going to hurt to know either way."

Robin rubbed his chin considering her suggestion. "I suppose you're right."

"I know I'm right," Barbara replied, proudly. "If you want an accurate result, you should get a blood sample."

"Seems a bit invasive don't you think?" Robin cringed. "I doubt she's let us draw blood willingly."

"Well..." Barbara thought. "You might have to get creative..."

"I'm not going to strap her down and stick a needle in her arm without her consent, Barbara," Robin argued.

"I'm just saying," Barabara put her hands up in defense. "The more DNA you have, the better. But it's up to you."

Robin sighed, "Star and I can get saliva and a fingerprint." Robin ran his fingers through his hair as he thought about her suggestion. "I need to think about the third option."

"Understood," Barbara conceded. "And while you're at it... maybe... you could run an analysis on yourself too. Ya know? Just-"

"Because she's my "doppelganger," right?" Robin scoffed. "A bit unnecessary don't you think?"

Barbara gave him a strange look before gesturing to Mar'i's photo on her laptop. "I've just _never_ seen _anyone_ look so much like you."

"You've had too much caffeine." Robin forced a laugh.

"Whatever," Barbara rolled her eyes. "Do with it what you want, but run a test on the girl."

Robin nodded in agreement. "Thanks for the help."

"Anytime," Barbara smirked before looking at her computer's clock. "Alright, I gotta go. I'm sure Powers will want his 3 o'clock latte pronto."

"Don't keep him waiting." Robin laughed. "He'll probably have you picking up his dry cleaning before too long."

"Hey," Barbara quipped. "You're laughing now, but if this shadowing thing turns into an actual job, fingers crossed, I could connect you, ya know. A few more years and you gotta make the move right?"

"That's come up a lot this week," He answered not ready to talk about the future again so quickly. "I'm kind of getting tired of thinking ahead."

"Understandable." Barbara agreed. "Well, if it makes things easier, I'd gladly have you on my force if I somehow end up running this place one day.

"So, we've jumped from Detective to Commissioner?" Robin mused.

"Like I said," Barbara shrugged a shoulder playfully. "It runs in the family."

"Gordon would weep."

"That he would." Barbara smiled. "Catch ya later, Dick. Oh, one more thing!"

"Yes?"

"It's really cute that you call her 'Star.'" She smiled at him.

"...We all call her that."

"Yeah, but you say it differently. I can tell."

Robin pursed his lips. "Goodbye, Barbara."

He signed off and closed the computer. He opened Mar'i's file again and wrote down a few points from the conversation. He placed the computer in the bottom drawer before heading to the common room to talk to Starfire about his findings. They would get to the bottom of this.

* * *

**Common Room; Titans Tower; 2006**

Starfire had spent the last hour explaining to Cyborg her awkward exchange with Robin on the beach while he was searching for new recipes online. Things were starting to feel more normal again since they had started working together to help Mar'i, but the subject of the future seemed to keep returning to them unintentionally. It made her anxious. Cyborg had seemed surprisingly unfazed by her concerns telling her things would work out fine.

"Starfire," Cyborg gave her a knowing look. "You really just need to talk to him."

"I suppose." She agreed. "I am only worried about how to approach the subject with him. And in the end, it was only a misunderstanding."

"Sure," Cyborg agreed. "But it looks like a misunderstanding that you might need to revisit."

Starfire tapped her fingers on the table anxiously.

"Cyborg, do you believe I could live a civilian life?"

"I think you can do whatever you want." Cyborg looked up from his computer still unvexed. "You do you _want_ a be a civie?"

"Robin and I have discussed while on patrol the other night, but it was only banter," She replied with a shrug. "Although the more I consider it, I am uncertain I could acclimate."

"You've lived here long enough. I think you could manage." He answered before asking, "What does Robin want?"

"I think the idea of civilian life seems enticing to him." Starfire sighed. "However, I am uncertain what Robin _actually_ wants."

"I think I might know," Cyborg smiled knowingly again. "But you don't need me to tell you what I think."

Starfire continued to tap her fingers unsure of how to respond so she changed the subject.

"What do you think _you_ will do when the time comes for us to... move on?"

"I dunno," Cyborg shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe bribe the League to let me join? I mean, if you think you don't fit in, look at me!" Cyborg gave a laugh when they both heard a _ding!_ come from his computer. Starfire saw Cyborg's face grow serious.

"Shoot," Cyborg said to himself still looking at his laptop. He closed it then looked to Starfire. "Sorry. I gotta go... fix something."

"Of course," Starfire replied. "Do you require any assistance-"

"Nope," He answered hastily. "Catch you later."

With that, Cyborg had left to go fix whatever issue had come up and Starfire found herself alone with her thoughts for the first time in a while. Cyborg was right. She needed to have an honest conversation with Robin. The future was starting to feel like it was just around the corner and her options were simple: Tamaran with her people, or Earth. But if a future on Earth didn't involve Robin, she wasn't sure she could accept that.

She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there when she heard the doors open. She had barely turned to see who had entered when Robin appeared on the other side of the counter. Perfect. She could do it now. But as she opened her mouth to speak, he threw Mar'i's file on the counter.

"She's from Gotham."

"Excuse me?" She mustered too stunned to say anything else.

"Mar'i's from Gotham." He restated and Starfire blinked in an attempt to register this new information.

"_Your_ Gotham?"

"Do you know of any other Gothams?" He said.

"How- how did you discover this?!"

"I questioned her pretty hard during our training session," Robin said. "It was like pulling teeth, but she finally told me."

"I see..." Starfire said. "So, I presume training was successful?"

"Yeah," Robin responded with a little less edge in his tone. "Something like that." Robin looked away from her uncomfortably and awkwardly shuffled the file on the table before turning back to her. "Um... I have a strange question for you. Do you know of any Tamaraneans who may have had... relationships with anyone from Earth?"

"You and I are friends, are we not?" Starfire asked.

"Not what I'm asking." Robin rubbed the back of his neck. "Do you know of anyone else from your planet who may have been... _intimate_... with anyone on Earth?"

Starfire felt her mouth fall open and her face grow red.

"Have... _what_?!"

"Star..." He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "It means-"

"I understand the meaning!" She waved her hands stopping him. "Why are you asking me such a question? I do not as you say "keep tabs" on the private lives of my subjects."

"I know and I'm sorry." He winced in embarrassment. "But, can you think of... anyone?"

"This conversation is highly inappropriate, Robin."

"It has to do with Mar'i."

"With Mar'i?!" Starfire pressed him. "What in X'hal's name do my people's private lives have to do with-"

"Please, Star."

Starfire sighed, slightly irked by the audacity of the question. However, she knew Robin was too prudent to bring this sort of topic up casually. He must have a legitimate reason.

"No..." She relented, shaking her head. "I do not know of anyone."

"Are you _sure_?"

"Robin, no one else from Tamaran has been to Earth other than myself and Blackfire, and although I do not know what... _activities_..." She cringed. "... she may have partaken in when she visited, it certainly does not concern me." Starfire looked to him incensed. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I'm sorry," Robin apologized again. "I'm asking because Mar'i might be biracial. One Tamaranean parent and one human."

Starfire cocked her head in confusion.

"What makes you believe that?"

"I reached out to Barbara for some help," Robin explained. "She compared a photo of Mar'i to one of you and she thinks we need to run a DNA analysis. Whatever data doesn't comply with the Tameranean DNA might help us locate the human parent."

"X'hal..." Starfire breathed as the wheels began turning in her head.

"It makes sense considering she doesn't know how to use her powers," Robin continued. "She also pointed out Mar'i's completion doesn't match one of your average Tameranean. And she's right. Your sister is the only other Tameranean I've seen with dark hair."

"You are correct," Starfire affirmed. "That might also explain why the metallic chromium solution did not affect her when Red X broke in. She may not have an allergy." Starfire realized, looking way from Robin for a moment. "That means..."

"Red X knows she's biracial too." Robin finished for her. "He must have known the solution wouldn't bother her, which means he wanted to talk to her specifically."

"Then..." Starfire breathed again. "We shall acquire a DNA sample, yes?"

"Hopefully, it will help give us some answers," Robin answered with a nod before reaching in his utility belt and handing her a test tube. "Would you be able to collect a sample?"

Starfire nodded as she took the tube from him. "What do you require?"

"Preferably saliva." He responded. "I'll get a fingerprint for kicks."

"So you merely have to obtain a fingerprint and you give me the more difficult task?" Starfire mused.

"I thought you could feed her some Tamaranean food." Robin lightly joked. "Get a sample from whatever she spits out."

Starfire crinkling her nose in amusement. She fiddled with the test tube momentarily and looked at Robin seeing his face went from jovial to uneasy.

"Is something the matter?"

"Barbara suggested a blood test too," He admitted. "It would give us more information to work with but I'm a bit apprehensive about that one."

Starfire understood and thought to herself momentarily before stowing the test tube away. "Perhaps, if we cannot gain an accurate reading with what we collect, the blood sample can be our last resort?"

Robin nodded silently as he considered her suggestion. "Let's hope Mar'i will be honest with us so it won't have to come to that."

"Agreed," Starfire agreed.

They were silent for a moment before Robin changed the subject.

"How was your meeting?"

"My what?" She asked him still distracted from the DNA talk.

"Your meeting with Cyborg?" He asked her again.

_Oh right._ She thought. She still needed to talk with Robin... There was never going to be a good time to bring up the future, but the lump in her throat told her she needed to say something now.

"Oh, it went well. Um... Robin," Her voice tremored upon saying his name. "Do you think it possible that we could talk-"

Her sentence was rudely interrupted by the sound of the crime alert, causing her to jump. Things had been so quiet since the fake attack from the H.I.V.E, Starfire swore she had almost forgotten how loud the alarm could be. A notification popped up on the mainframe. Robin quickly walked over to the monitor and Starfire composed as best as she could before following him to study the information on the screen. The alert was coming from Downtown as usual. Robin let the alarm sound a few more rounds to make sure everyone heard it then turned it off. The information about the situation was loading slowing which caused Robin tapped his foot impatiently.

"What is taking so long?" Starfire asked perplexed.

"I think the network is having some connection problems. Might come over a little slow."

"Hopefully, not too slow," Starfire said when she felt the lump form once again in her throat, debating in her head what to say next. She had to say something. She opened her mouth to ask again.

"Robin, I know this is not the best time to discuss this, but could we possibly find time to-

"Time to what?" He interrupted her, still looking at the screen. Starfire groaned inwardly. He clearly wasn't paying attention anymore.

"Nothing," She answered in defeat. "It is nothing."

The two of them remained silent while Robin studied the screen. He glanced up at her briefly.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes." She lied. "Are you?"

"Just focused," Robin replied. "Or distracted. Maybe both."

"It appears to be both," Starfire affirmed. Her confidence began to fade along with the missed moment as Raven and Beast Boy entered the Common Room.

"What's the report, boss?" Beast Boy asked joining them. "This better not be another fake fight."

"I don't think it is," Robin answered him. "The disturbance is coming from the Wayne Enterprises Building."

* * *

Mar'i jumped when she heard the alarm sound for the second time since arriving in 2006. After Beast Boy walked her to her room, she decided to freshen up from the morning's activities. After showering and drying her hair, she quickly put on one of the new pairs of jeans she purchased and one of the short-sleeved shirts, a light purple one, before exiting her room. She quickly learned that when this alarm sounded, the common room was the place to congregate so she walked there quickly while braiding her hair into a side ponytail on the way. She ran into Cyborg outside the common room doors who had a stressed expression on his face.

Mar'i cringed in embarrassment. "I guess you got Raven's message?"

"How could you tell?" Cyborg gave her a sympathetic smile. "I installed a few safeguards. Robin shouldn't be able to find anything on you. At least on Titan Network anyway."

"Thanks, Cyborg. And... I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Just stay on your guard, okay?"

She nodded as he pushed the button to open the common room doors. Robin was hunched over the keyboard. Starfire and Beast Boy were next to him around the monitor. Raven met Cyborg and Mar'i at the door.

"The disturbance is at the Wayne Enterprises Building." Raven informed them in a low voice. Mar'i turned to Cyborg in panic and Cyborg also stood up a little straighter.

"You don't think-" Cyborg started.

"I don't know," Raven cut him off. "But if X screws us up, I might send him to Azarath for an extended vacation. Have you heard _anything_ from him?"

"Nothing," Cyborg answered. "But it'd be just like him to make another scene."

"Raven. Cyborg." Robin addressed them "I don't know what you're talking about but it can't be more important than this."

"Spikey head little twerp," Cyborg muttered under his breath as he walked over to the monitor. Mar'i and Raven followed. "So, Wayne Enterprises?"

"The disturbance is coming from the distribution center," Robin answered. "There's already a police presence there, but it looks like they need a little backup."

"What kind of disturbance?" Mar'i asked. She wasn't sure if she was allowed in on the briefing session, but if this was Red X, she needed to know. Robin wasn't quick to answer her. Though Mar'i couldn't see his eyes behind the mask, she could tell the morning's conversation was still fresh on his mind. He glanced at her briefly before turning back to the computer.

"Not sure." He was short. "But we need to go." He turned off the monitor then addressed the team. "Starfire, Beast Boy, and Raven take the sky. I'll take the R-Cycle. Cyborg, take the T-Car."

The five of them started to move out and Mar'i felt like the room was spinning.

"What about me?!" Mar'i asked jumping in front of Robin and waving her arms. The five of them stopped and turned to her. What was she supposed to do? The last thing she wanted to do was head into a fistfight, but she couldn't just hang back while they left her. Despite her lessons with Robin and Starfire, she wasn't confident enough to be on her own if something went haywire.

"You're staying here," Robin said.

"But... what if Red X breaks into the tower again? What if something goes wrong? I can barely make a starbolt!" She grasped her hand into a fist and tried to summon a spark of joy, but failed miserably.

"Exactly. You'd be a liability," Robin said moving past her. "It's not safe."

"He's right, Mar'i," Raven chimed in with a hint of warning in her voice. "You have the communicator. If you need us, you can call."

"Raven, please-"

"Mar'i, for real, you shouldn't come." Cyborg agreed. "And how much more time are we going to waste?" He pointed to his hypothetical watch.

"Cyborg is correct, we must make with the haste." Starfire, who Mar'i noticed seemed surprisingly on edge, agreed with him.

"Titans, go!" Robin ordered and the team then turned to Mar'i. "Stay here."

Robin and the rest of the team started making their way to the garage. Mar'i growled in frustration and ran after them opting to take the stairs instead of the elevator in hopes of making it to the garage faster. By the time she reached the garage, she was severely out of breath. The door was open and Robin had already taken off on the R-Cycle. Beast Boy turned into a pterodactyl and took to the sky. Mar'i looked around and found Raven and ran to her, grabbing her arm before she could levitate after them.

"Please, let me come with you!"

"Mar'i, if this is X, we can handle it. As you said, you can't even make a starbolt!" Raven pointed to Mar'i's hand. "There's no way you could defend yourself out there if something went wrong!"

"What if he spills my secret?!" Mar'i whispered to her.

"I can shut him up." Raven assured her. "Don't worry about that. And frankly, after this morning, I'm more worried about you spilling your secret than him."

Raven shook from Mar'i's grip and followed after Beast Boy. Mar'i was about to lose hope until she heard an engine. She turned to see Cyborg in the T-Car starting to roll out of the garage. She dove in front of the car causing Cyborg to slam on the brakes. Mar'i put her hands on the hood.

"Are you crazy?!" Cyborg yelled. "I almost killed you!"

"Let me ride with you!" Mar'i yelled to him through the windshield.

"Get your hands off my baby!" He warned her. "And absolutely not! Are you out of your mind?!"

"You either gotta run me over or I'm coming with you!"

The two were locked in a standoff for several seconds before Cyborg frowned and jerked his head in aggravation toward the passenger seat.

"Get in."

Mar'i gave him a victorious grin before climbing into the passenger seat and buckling up.

"You're just as stubborn as Robin, you know that?" Cyborg barked to her. He had just hit the gas when two more hands landed on the hood causing both Cyborg and Mar'i to yelp in surprise. Cyborg revved the wheels but the hands on the hood prevented him from accelerating.

"Stop!" Starfire's protested holding the car in position.

"What are you doing?!" Cyborg let off the gas and threw one of his hands up. "You know I _just_ waxed the T-Car!"

"Please allow me to ride with you!" She turned her attention to the passenger seat cried in surprise, "Mar'i?! You _are not_ to be in this vehicle!"

"And _you're_ supposed to be flying!" Cyborg argued back.

"I..." Starfire began turning back to Cyborg. "I cannot!"

"What do you mean you _can't?_!"

"Please, Cyborg I shall explain, just allow me to-"

"Fine! Fine!" Cyborg waved a hand cutting her off. "Just get in! _Everybod_y get in! Let's all ignore Robin's orders and ride with Cyborg!"

"Oh, I thank you!" Starfire sighed with relief as she rushed to climb into the back seat.

"Oh you're welcome," Cyborg answered sarcastically as he gunned it after the others. "I'm already everybody's chef and life coach. I might as well be the damn chauffeur too."

"Yes, all admirable occupations, friend!" Starfire grinned.

"Man, Star," Cyborg shook his head. "We gotta get you to understand sarcasm..."

"Why can't you fly?" Mar'i asked turning around to face Starfire.

"Did our conversation mess you up?" Cyborg briefly looked to her in the rearview mirror.

"No it is... nothing. I just... need to "clear my head" as you say?"

"Well, you got three minutes to get your head straight, Star." Cyborg looked at the clock in the car. "We don't need any your powers to going bipolar on us out there."

"Agreed," Starfire closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"I don't understand." Mar'i said to her.

"Do you recall how I taught you that starbolts are related to joy?" Starfire said to her without opening her eyes. "It is the same for flight."

"You don't feel joy?" Mar'i asked.

"Please do not ask me any further questions."

Mar'i opened her mouth but saw Cyborg shake his head "no" in her direction. Mar'i turned back to face the road as Cyborg wound in and out of traffic. She started to feel a little nauseous considering how fast he was going, but thankfully the remaining two minutes were up and they parked outside the Wayne Enterprises Building where a large crowd of what appeared to be employees and onlookers were gathered outside. JCPD cars surrounding the building and the entrances was taped off.

Robin seemed to have just arrived himself and dismounted the R-Cycle as Raven landed next to him. Beast Boy landed beside Raven before shifting back to human form. Raven turned to the T-Car and gave a panicked look when she caught Mar'i's eye which caused a few streetlights to break as a result. Mar'i nervously waved her direction. Robin also turned and gave Cyborg a disapproving look when he saw Mar'i in the passenger seat.

"I'm going to get my butt handed to me next combat practice," Cyborg groaned to himself as he unbuckled. "Both of you, get out." He ordered Mar'i and Starfire. Mar'i unbuckled from her seat and climbed out of the car and Starfire took one more deep breath to center herself before exiting the car. The three of them made their way over to the others.

"You want to tell me why she's here?" Robin asked Cyborg pointing to Mar'i. He then looked to Starfire with a quizzical expression. "And didn't I ask you to fly here?"

"You did," Starfire answered, somewhat ashamed.

"Then why-"

"Robin, we don't have time for an interrogation." Cyborg cut him off. "Did you even get briefed on the situation yet?"

"Not yet. But look, Cyborg. If you and Starfire aren't able to follow orders-

"Don't be mad at them!" Mar'i came to their defense stepping between Cyborg and Robin "I kind of gave Cyborg an ultimatum and Starfire can't fly right now! Either way, I wasn't going to sit by myself in that tower of yours considering what happened last time you left me there."

Robin stared momentarily at Mar'i before turning back to Starfire.

"Why can't you fly?" He asked her.

"I-" Starfire started. "It does not matter now."

Robin shifted uncomfortably before asking her, "Want to talk about it?"

"Not particularly." She answered looking away from him briefly.

A silence hung among the group and it was if Mar'i could feel the tension boiling. She exchanged an uncomfortable glance with Cyborg and Beast Boy shifted into a literal cricket and began chirping to which Raven rubbed her forehead in chagrin.

"Alright," Raven broke the silence. "This is sufficiently awkward."

Beast Boy changed back to human form and cleared his throat.

"Yeah, what she said." He jammed his thumb in Raven's direction. "I'm just gonna... ya know... I'm gonna talk to the Chief. Get the sitch on what's going on." He gave a nervous smile before backing away and heading over to the JCPD cars. Robin crossed his arms and looked down in slight aggravation.

"Someone go with him. He won't get all the details."

"On it." Raven volunteered. "Mar'i, you're coming with me."

"But-" Mar'i began to protest, but Raven grabbed her arm and the two of them followed after Beast Boy.

"I'm going to go talk to the employees," Cyborg asserted. "Get their story on what's going on. And you two," Cyborg pointed to Robin and Starfire. "...you need to talk. I'm not sure about what, but I just know you need to." He gave them a look of warning before turning to leave.

* * *

Once the others were out of earshot, Robin looked to Starfire.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing. I am okay now." Starfire insisted.

"But you weren't okay earlier apparently," Robin retorted. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I attempted to Robin, you were focused. But I am _fine_," Starfire assured him more firmly. "I was just feeling a bit uneasy."

"About what?" Robin asked. "Testing Mar'i?"

"No, it is not that," Starfire answered.

"Star, talk to me. Did I miss something?" Robin asked her somewhat irritated. "Are you mad at me?"

"No, Robin. I'm just... ugh!" Starfire growled in frustration and brought her hands to her forehead. "It does not matter. Now, please. We should stop discussing this and talk to the Chief of Police."

"Star-"

"I am serious, Robin! It appears Beast Boy is already acting out one of his video games for them."

She pointed in the direction of the crowd where Beast Boy was waving his arms in the air and walking around in a circle. He then yelled an incoherent phrase before bodyslamming the ground with great zeal. The Chief of Police stared at him in utter confusion and Raven appeared completely incensed. Mar'i watched the scene unfold like a deer in headlights.

"Geez..." Robin murmured running if fingers through his hair. "Fine, but we're going to talk later. Okay?"

"Yes. Later." Starfire agreed flatly and the two made their way over to Raven and Beast Boy.

"So the Monkey King comes to up the Gorilla King and is like," Yo, you took all my bananas." and then the Gorilla King is like "ROARRR!" Beast Boy beat his chest like a gorilla before turning into a gorilla for emphasis.

"That's enough!" Raven scolded him upon Robin and Starfire's arrival. "I think the entire police department knows how to beat Mega Monkeys 4, by now..."

"Oh, thank, God," The Chief breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Robin. "You're little green friend has been doing this ever since he got here."

"I couldn't get a word in edgewise..." Raven sneered between her teeth.

"I got nervous, okay!" Beast Boy pleaded after changing back to human form. "Normally Robin does this sort of thing!"

"Then you should have left it to him!" She fumed at him.

"I didn't know how long they'd be!" Beat Boy gestured to Robin and Starfire. "You how they are when they get all awkward- AACK!" Raven huffed and pointed towards Beast Boy's feet. He shot up in the air. He was thankfully caught bridal style by Cyborg who was walking over talking to the rest of the employees.

"What did you say _this time_?" Cyborg accused putting him down once they reached the rest of the group.

"Nothing!" Beast Boy quipped. "Raven's just being temperamental."

"You were acting out a video game." Mar'i remarked matter of factly.

"Stop!" Robin ordered in exasperation. "Everyone. Just stop talking." The team went silent and Robin turned to the Chief. "What do you have for us?"

* * *

Mar'i felt her mouth go dry as the Chief briefed them on the situation.

"We got a call that the Afternoon Shift Manager in the Distribution Center went a little mad and brought a gun and some ammo to work with him. My guys can't get in because he somehow hacked the building's security system and the place is on complete lockdown."

"And I just got finished talking to some of the assembly line workers," Cyborg jumped in. "They said he's holding a couple of coworkers hostage."

"Does Mr. Wayne know?" Robin asked. "He can probably override the security breach."

"We contacted Wayne." The Chief nodded. "His people are on it right now, but this manager seems unstable so Mr. Wayne is playing it safe. One wrong move and it could be a bloodbath if we're not careful."

"But this is merely one man against your police force," Starfire said. "Surely, it wouldn't result in such violence?"

"You don't understand," The Chief explained. "Wayne has been working with the military. This particular distribution center has been making military attack drones. Wayne told us they probably won't be released for another few years, but from what I understand, the prototypes have been successful. This guy has all the controls to take down my entire force in a shootout if he wants."

"Did you say... drones?" Mar'i swallowed. "With _guns_?" She looked to Raven then to Cyborg as she remembered the drone who met Red X for the clock. Beast Boy also appeared to sense the direness of the situation.

"Afraid so, Miss," The Chief answered. "Pretty high tech too. Inside the building is one thing, but what I'm worried about is what could happen if those things get loose in the city."

"Talk about bloodbath..." Raven breathed to herself.

"Did I mention I'm allergic to gunfire?" Beast Boy squeaked.

"Aren't we all, kid?" The Chief scoffed. "But if you all can find a way to get in, take that guy down, and get those people out safely, we'll be forever in your debt."

"You're kidding, right?" Mar'i gave an unamused laugh. "You're asking a group of _teenagers_ to take down a psychopath with his hand on multiple triggers. It's suicide!"

"This group of teenagers has saved Jump City more times than I can count." The Chief countered. "And who are _you_, again?"

"I'm-"

"Leaving." Robin finished for her. "She's leaving. He reached into his utility belt and handed her some spare change.

"What is this for?" She asked him.

"Bus fare," Robin answered matter of factly. "There's a metro stop just a block up the road. We're doing to take this guy down and _you're_ going back to the Tower."

"You're not serious?"

"I am. Go home, Mar'i," He ordered her before turning to the others. "Titans, let's move."

The team walked away toward the building and Mar'i stared at the change in her hand. _Home._ She could almost laugh. She'd love to be home right now. As the team started to plot what to do, Mar'i found herself walking absentmindedly toward the metro stop.

This was stupid. 2006 was stupid. Red X was stupid. Enlisting a group of teenagers to protect an entire city was stupid. And so was she.

_Stupid._

Stupid for not listening to her parents. Stupid enough to break the clock in the first place. Stupid enough to tell Robin she was from Gotham. Mar'i stopped walking and looked at the change in her hand. After letting out an aggravated groan, she turned around the followed after the team, tossing the change aside.

If she was stupid enough to get herself in this mess, she might as well be stupid enough to get herself out of it. She was going in with them. She _had_ to go in with them whether Robin liked it or not.


	18. Chapter 18

**9:30 pm; Downtown Gotham City; 2032 **

Smoke from the smoke bomb billowed out of the event center doors as Dick and Kori stumbled outside with Jason staggering clumsily behind them. They found the street in front of them in mass hysteria. People were scrambling to find their cars as GCPD was unsuccessfully attempting to secure the area. Dick knew it wasn't long before Gotham's most notorious criminals took advantage of the situation so they needed to move especially now their identities had been jeopardized. They had to get out of there, find Mar'i, and stop Slade and Warp from whatever it was they were planning.

"Let's go," Dick instructed as he grabbed Kori's hand to lead her down the concrete stairs and Jason followed beside them. As the three of them hurried up the sidewalk to the parking garage, a group of rambunctious teenagers who were clearly pushing the limits of their curfew, ran into Jason and knocked him to the ground. Despite having been thrown into several banquet tables moments before, Jason decided this was the last straw.

"Gosh dammit! Watch where you're going to you little d-bags!" He shouted after them. "Let's hope the Joker doesn't find you tonight!"

"Jason!" Kori gasped. "What a heinous thing to suggest!"

"What she said," Dick agreed, letting go of Kori's hand. He grabbed Jason's arm and pulled him to his feet. "Stop threatening the youth."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Jason shook him off. "Listening to you is how I ended up in this crapshoot of a city," Jason complained to Dick as he dusted himself off.

"You could leave anytime." Dick countered as he once started walking to the parking garage. "And you do. Frequently, by the way."

"Sure." Jason sneered in resentment. "But I with almost 20 years in this hell-hole, might as well ride it out to the end."

"Don't sound so bitter." Dick rolled his eyes. "If you think coming here was the worst thing you've ever done, you're clearly mistaken."

"Oh no," Jason came back. "Coming here _was_ the best thing to ever happen to me! But then, you know what happened? YOU QUIT. So, no. I'm not bitter, I'm just pissed! Who does that?! Who retires at 26?!"

"Expectant fathers," Dick responded firmly as he and Kori continued to walk with Jason marching defiantly behind them. "You have to let this go!"

"Indeed." Kori agreed, not looking Jason in the eye. "We are _not_ having this conversation now. And we are _not_ going to apologize for starting our family."

"I don't care about that!" Jason was honest. "I love Mar'i! I was over the moon when I found out about her! Heck, you could of have had five more babies for all I cared! But what I still can't get over is you left it all behind. Just like that!" Jason snapped his fingers. "There are plenty of vigilantes that make it work and you could have too! But you didn't! You didn't even try to!"

"Civilian life was the best decision for our family. For Mar'i." Dick attemped to keep his demeanor level, but the agitation was starting to rise.

"Yeah, and look at you now!" Jason threw a hand up and gestured to a disheveled Dick. "All those years of playing buddy cop and your cover's blown!"

Dick stopped in his tracks again his composure gone. He grabbed Jason by the arm enraged.

"This isn't my fault! It's yours!" He jabbed his finger into Jason's chest. "And let's be clear, you didn't _just _reveal our identities," - Dick held up a finger and ticked off the names one by one - "... but yours, Bruce's, which means it probably won't be hard for them to figure out who Damian is. So I guess my point is, me moving on isn't the reason for any of this! Our cover was blown because you were careless and I have a slight suspicion that you're a functioning alcoholic!"

"Hey!" Jason shook away from Dick's grip again in offense. "I sometimes over-indulge but I'm not-!"

"Stop it!" Kori yelled at them. "Jason, your poor life choices are none of my concern at this moment. And Dick, you need to cool it! We all do! We must make with the haste to find Mar'i."

_"Make with the haste?!" _Jason mocked. "Seriously, Kori, did you even take ESL? Or did the blinding light back there cause you to have a stroke?"

"I swear to X'hal, Jason, you are the biggest _clorbag varblernelk_!" Kori's eyes flashed a ferocious green.

"There she is!" Jason applauded her sarcastically. "What happened to needing to 'cool it?'"

"I do not need you to dissect my linguistics, right now." Kori spat, reluctantly powering down and continuing to walk on without them. "I have endured enough of that this weekend. There are things of greater importance to worry about."

"Yeah, no shit, Princess," Jason snarked as he and Dick followed after her. "We just got our asses handed to us by Slade! You know he's supposed to be dead, right?!"

"Slade _is_ dead in our time." Dick corrected as he attempted to level his tone again. "_This_ Slade came from an earlier time."

"Whatever," Jason dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "Either way, it's freakin Slade with a time machine and he's working with Father Time himself. So, I'm sorry for screwing up the rest of your lives tonight, but really, you should be thanking him for dragging me into your family drama!"

"_Our_ family." Dick corrected him. "Don't act like you're not apart of this. If Slade agreed to work with Warp they're just using us as the gateway for something larger, and we need to find out what. Whatever they're up to is bigger than us."

The three of them fumed in silence for the rest of their short walk. They entered the parking garage but stopped upon approaching the Grayson Volkswagon when they noticed the tires were conveniently slashed. Laughter was heard from the other end of the garage and they saw the group of teenagers who knocked Jason over just moments ago. The kids snickered before running away.

"I hate this city." Jason groaned in disdain. "I guess I'll get us a cab..."

"In that mess out there," Dick gestured in the direction of the rioting in the streets. "Not a chance." He turned to Kori. 'You gotta fly us home." Despite the frenzy going on around them, Dick couldn't help but smile when he took her hand. "Just like old times." She blushed before Jason interrupted the moment.

"Don't mind me." He snatched her other hand reluctantly. "I'll just be third-wheeling. Like old times, I guess."

Kori took to the sky with Dick and Jason in tow. They flew about 4 miles until they reached the Grayson home where they landed on the front deck. They found the door ajar and rushed inside.

"Mar'i?!" Dick called into the house even though he knew there would be no answer. Kori immediately ran back to Mar'i's room to find her desk lamp still on and unfinished Chemistry work remained on her desk. Jason checked the rest of the house for any hidden cameras or wires. When he couldn't find anything suspicious, he went to the kitchen and grabbed a sparkling water from the fridge before convening with Dick and Kori outside Dick's office door. They all carefully peeked inside.

"Good god, Dick," Jason cringed upon seeing the newspaper implosion that was Dick's office and took a sip of his water. "If I'm a functioning alcoholic, then you're a hoarder."

"I know, it's not great." Dick opened the door a bit more and entered the room. "But I kept the clock in here on the file-"

Dick looked to the top of the file cabinet to see the clock was missing. He then moved his eyes to the floor to see broken shards of glass that used to encase the clock. The clock face lay amidst the mess and the base broken. "Oh boy..."

"Strange," Kori remarked, "If Warp was here, why would he not take the clock with him?"

"Must have thought it useless since it was broken..." Dick assumed as he assessed the scene trying to imagine what had happened in the short span of time they left Mar'i. He ran his fingers through his hair in distress. "What did you do, Mar'i..."

"I'll tell you exactly what she did," Jason cockily walked over to him while taking a sip of his water. He pointed to the mess. "She obviously slipped on a stack of your crap, hit the cabinet, broke the damn clock, then…"

Jason trailed off as if understanding the severity of the situation. He then eyed the open bottom drawer of Dick's desk just a few steps away from the pile of glass. "Well, isn't that a throwback?" He squatted down and fiddled through the drawer's contents before holding up a picture. "Taken a walk down memory lane, recently?" Jason asked him.

Dick took it from him to see it was an old photo of his and Kori's former teammates. He flipped it over and read the back of it. It was their wedding present to him and Kori.

"No, but it looks like Mar'i was." Dick frowned and lightly gripped the photo in his hand in regret. "I should have looked through this stuff sooner."

Jason furrowed his brow trying to understand.

"Wait... were you going to_ tell_ her?"

"We_ did _tell her," Kori sighed, crossing her arms. "This morning."

"You're kidding?!" Jason jumped up in shock. "Oh, please tell me how t_hat_ conversation went."

"Spoiler: Not great." Dick tossed the picture back in the drawer.

"Did you... tell her about me?" Jason asked cautiously.

"That's her uncle is the Red Hood? Absolutely not! " Kori scoffed, putting a hand on her forehead and examined the mess. "X'hal, this is a nightmare. Clearly... she has traveled somewhere in time and we have no way to find out as to where!"

"We don't know that's she's traveled." Dick attempted to put her at ease.

"Oh no, she definitely time traveled." Jason cut in, not even attempting to sugarcoat the situation to which Dick gave him a "_you're not helping_" kind of look.

Kori then put her hands on her hips as her despair quickly turning into anger. "Why in the world would you keep that machine in your office?!" She yelled at Dick.

"I don't know!" Dick countered sincerely "Maybe I thought it would be safe here!"

"Atop of your rickety file cabinet?!" Kori yelled. "Could not Bruce have stored it in the Cave?!"

"Yeah, what exactly _were_ you thinking, Dick?" Jason took another sip of sparkling water and leaned casually against said file cabinet somewhat amused at their argument.

"I..." Dick thought to try to remember why he even had the device in the first place. "I actually don't remember. Honestly! As I said, I guess I thought it would be safe."

"Well, you thought wrong." Kori fumed. "You are seriously telling me you thought keeping it in your office would be safer than with Bruce?"

"Yeah," Jason agreed with her. "You keeping that thing here is almost as bad as the time you gave it to me."

Dick was about to argue when he stopped himself.

"When did I give it to you?" He asked Jason.

"When we were teenagers," Jason said as if it were obvious. "I held onto that thing for a while, remember? Then I sold it? "

"I don't remember that." Dick shook his head.

"Well, you are over forty so..." Jason smirked and took a sip of water.

"This is nothing to do with age." Dick disagreed. "I would remember giving you a time machine and there's no way in heck I would have done that."

"Yeah, I beg to differ." Jason raised his eyebrow and took another sip of water. "Because I would make sure to _never_ forget a time you came groveling to me. You convinced me it was so dangerous that it couldn't stay at the Tower."

"Me groveling to you?" Dick was incensed. "I doubt that."

"I promise you, you did," Jason asserted. "You even offered me Xenothium. That's how desperate you were!"

"Don't think so," Dick disagreed with him again. "In the end, it's your word against mine and I think we all know which of the two of us is more reliable."

"No..." Kori began with a slight shake of her head. She squinted her eyes and looked at the clock as if trying to remember herself. "I... though my memory is foggy... I think I agree with Jason."

"Kori, you're not serious are you?" Dick snapped his head to her in disbelief.

"I think I am." She shrugged her shoulders apologetically.

"What did I tell you?!" Jason pointed to Kori seeing that his point was proven. "I can't remember exactly what the hell for, but you definitely gave it to me."

"Okay, fine." Dick threw a hand up in exasperation. "Let's say, I _did_ give it to you. But if I did... how did I get the clock back if you sold it?"

"Well, that's simple," Jason began but he slowly started to look less confident. "You just... well... uh... I don't know. How did you?"

"That's the thing," Dick said. "I can't remember. I've had it ever since we got it from Warp."

"But you haven't!" Jason came back.

"Okay," Dick pressed him. "So if you sold it, _to whom_ did you sell it to?"

"I can't remember! Probably some antique collector."

"So it looks like I'm not the only one with a poor memory." Dick crossed his arms.

"That's not the point," Jason countered. "You gave it away! You gave it to me!"

"Then why can you and Kori remember and I can't!" Dick argued. "Why can't any of us remember anything concrete about this device?!"

"Dammit, Dick!" Jason replied throwing his hand up in exasperation. "I don't know! Maybe because we're all over the age of 35 now! _Or_ _maybe_ because Mar'i decided to play Marty McFly for the evening and fricken messed up the space-time continuum!"

"Will you quit joking around?!" Dick yelled to him. "My daughter is missing!"

"And she's my niece!" Jason countered. "I'm also not too crazy about her floating around in time somewhere! And I _wasn't_ joking, what if- what if she actually screwed with our memories? We all saw her in some form back at the banquet! You know, when the clock became a disco ball?!"

Kori furrowed her brow as she looked at the mess on the floor. "Maybe Jason is on to something. We all did have flashbacks."

"We don't know that for sure," Dick responded. "That's just my educated guess. I could be wrong."

"But what if you aren't wrong?" Kori said to him. "It seems that all of those flashbacks - or memories - we saw were from when we were teenagers, correct?" Kori asked again.

"You want to get to the point, Princess?" Jason prompted.

"What if what we saw were clues to where- or _when_\- Mar'i may have traveled? And depending on the time in which she has landed... maybe that is why our memories may not be aligning?"

Jason and Dick were silent as they pondered her theory and exchanged an unconvinced glance.

"Maybe," Dick answered her. "But it's a longshot, Kor."

"If you recall, we've been known to defy longshots before," Kori stated. "I know it is only a small amount of information, but maybe what we saw can help us determine when she may have traveled. Tell me, what would have been our teenage years?

"Are you really going to make me do the math right now?" Jason groaned. "We don't even know if-"

"Between 2003-2007." Dick cut him off. "Maybe. But that's a three-year span."

"But it is _something,_" She asserted before leaving the room and coming back with a paper bag. She started to carefully pick up the clock face and it's base and placed them in the bag.

"What are you doing?" Jason asked her.

She stood up with the contents of the clock and looked to both of them. "_We_ may not be able to piece together the flashbacks but we all know someone who might." She gripped the bag a little tighter and asked Dick, "How long will it take us to get to Steel City?"

Dick waited a beat but then he quickly understood. He opened the closet door behind him and grabbed a key that was hanging behind the closet door. He began rummaging in the mess and grabbed a small black backpack and emptied the contents from his desk drawer inside. Jason didn't move but his eyes grew wide. He quickly downed the last of the sparkling water before crunching the can and chucking it aside.

"Steel City?!" Jason asked as if not hearing her correctly, his expression wild.

"Yes, we need our friends," Kori affirmed. "Rachel may be able to access our memories and Victor has the tech to possibly repair the device. And I am sure seeing Garfield would probably put us all in a better mood. We need to go now."

"You want to go to Steel City _tonight?_!" Jason pressed as Dick continued to pack the backpack behind him. "Are you insane?!"

"It appears time is not on our side," Kori explained with an urgency. "As Dick said, this is bigger than us, and they are the only other vigilantes who have all dealt with Slade and Warp before." She then turned to Dick and asked him again, "How long will it take?"

"About 6 hours," Dick answered her, zipping up the backpack. He shed his tuxedo jacket and bowtie then proceeded to roll up one of his sleeves. "But if we leave now, I could probably get us there in 5..."

"Okay, so you're both crazy. Also-" Jason turned to Dick with wide eyes "Define '_us' _because I'm pretty sure I didn't agree to a 6-hour road trip tonight."

"You agreed to all of this the minute you brought that clock to the banquet." Dick rolled up his other sleeve.

"He is correct, Jason." Kori reiterated. "You are just as much a part of this as we are. That clock was sent to you and now we all have a responsibility to stop whatever Warp and Slade are planning."

Jason let the air out of his nostrils in frustration and bit his tongue before sighing in reluctance.

"Dammit." He groaned and clenched his fists before throwing up his hand. "Fine. _Fine_! But can't you just fly us there? You got us here in 3 mins, I'm pretty sure you could get us to Steel City in 20."

"We need to stay under the radar," Dick answered as he buttoned his sleeve in place before turning digging in the closet again. "And after tonight's fiasco, we definitely can't stay here much longer." He turned back to them with two motorcycle helmets in hand. He gave one to Kori and tossed the other one to Jason.

"We're taking _your bike_?" Jason huffed as he caught the helmet.

"You have a better option?" Dick asked him, as he grabbed his own helmet from the closet. "My car is sitting downtown with its tires slashed, I can only take a squad car 15 miles out of the city, and I doubt I'll get ahold of Bruce now."

"We can't all fit." Jason protested in annoyance.

"I know," Dick answered casually as he slung the backpack over his shoulder. "You're riding sidecar."

"You're kidding..."

"Mar'i loved it as a kid," Dick smirked in amusement.

Jason pursed his lips and muttered. "Fantastic." He then briefly set down the helmet and reluctantly took off his own tuxedo jacket and rolled up his sleeves. "Are we really going to do what I think we're about to do?"

Kori also set down the bag with the clock contents and her helmet. She took down her, now unkempt, side bun and let her hair fall down her back. She swallowed a lump in her throat and looked to Dick and Jason.

"The three of us... We are going to get Mar'i."

* * *

**Wayne Enterprises Building; Jump City 2006**

After waiting for what she thought was an appropriate amount of time, Mar'i ran back toward Wayne Enterprises and crouched behind a dumpster in a nearby alleyway. She kept the Titans within the safe distance to see them formulating their plan. Cyborg, Robin, and Beast Boy ran to the west side of the building while Raven flew to the top of the room with Starfire following suit.

The crowd was mostly of employees who were vying for new information on their co-workers who were still trapped inside, begging the police to give them answers, to which the police could only say they knew nothing at the moment and to please be patient. Now she just needed to figure out how to get past the yellow caution tape. If only she knew how to fly like she supposedly could.

She remembered what Starfire had mentioned in the car about flight relating to joy. Though it seemed ridiculous, Mar'i stood up, closed her eyes to focus, and attempted to think of things that made her happy. She thought of gymnastics again and jumped as high as she could only to land back on her feet. Okay. That didn't work. She thought of shopping the other day with Starfire and jumped. No luck. She closed her eyes once more and thought of her parents. How she wanted to see them again. As the jumped, she heard a voice behind her ask,

"What are you doing?"

Mar'i squeaked and fell to the ground mid-jump. She turned to see Red X standing behind her with his arms crossed, disapprovingly.

"Looks like someone hasn't learned to fly yet," X uncrossed his arms and offered her a hand. Mar'i pushed his hand aside and jumped to her feet again. She lifted her hand to strike him in defense, but he snatched it before the blow came.

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't try to hurt me every time we meet," X said.

"Let go of me!" Mar'i struggled, but Red X was unfazed and kept a grip on her wrist. "What are you doing here?!"

"I could ask you the same question," He retorted.

"And I wouldn't answer." Mar'i spat still attempting to wriggle away from his grasp. "Either way, it doesn't matter. I know you're behind this."

"I am?" X laughed and released her in his amusement. Mar'i could have sworn he had a cheeky grin under his mask. "How?"

"You tell me." She narrowed her eyes at him and pointed to the building behind them.

"Why do you keep assuming that I'm the bad guy?" X came back.

"You sold a clock my father trusted you to keep, you steal, and you threw a shuriken at my face. For starters..."

"People sell things all the time. Unfortunately, I have to steal to survive, and the shuriken..." X cocked his head as he thought back to the moment. "Okay, that wasn't cool. A lapse in judgment. Let's call it a teachable moment for both of us."

"You're unbelievable," Mar'i turned back and crouched behind the dumpster trying to study the scene outside the building.

"I'm assuming Robin told you to stay put." X crossed his arms again. "Seriously, what are you doing Little Gray?"

Mari looked away from him annoyed. "I need to get in there."

"And what do you think is going to happen once you do?" He questioned. "You're just going to get in the way. It's like you're actively trying to get on Robin's bad side."

"I'm not trying to get on anyone's bad side." Mar'i looked back at him. "I need to get home."

"I know, kid." X sounded almost sincere. "And I want you to go home too, but I don't think this is the way."

"Then what do you suggest, then?" Mar'i snarked. "Tell me why you're here then I might listen to you."

"I got into the building today before this all went down." Red X conceded. "I checked out the drones on the assembly line, they're similar to the one that met with me the other evening, but not as advanced, the SN numbers didn't match either. But, I was able to get into a manger's office and I found it."

"The clock?!" Mar'i asked him.

"No. The drone that met with me the other night. The exact one," X answered." I was getting ready to send my findings to the Tin Man when the alarms started sounding. I got out of there as quickly as I could but I heard some shots being fired as I was leaving."

"So, you didn't set the alarms off?"

"No." X affirmed. "Something else did. And whatever is going on in there, it's best you stay out of it. Seriously, kid, what are you trying to do? Fly in there and save the day?"

"Well, as I'm sure you can see, the flying isn't working out," Mar'i turned back to the police scene ahead of her. "If that drone is there, I'm sure I can find that clock. It has to be there too. Maybe I can make a run for it."

"You don't know that for sure." X tried to reason with her. "And the minute you cross that line, they'll arrest you."

"I'm fast." Mar'i answered him. Although she was starting to feel less confident.

"C'mon, Mar'i." Red X stood next to her and stared her down. "You're not thinking straight. Let's set the scene, shall we? It's 2035. You're going a little too fast down the Gotham freeway and get pulled over for the first time. Have fun trying to explain to the officer why and how you have a criminal trespassing offense on your record from 2006."

Mar'i pursed her lips in frustration and paced trying to decide what to do. She swore she could almost hear X smirking under his mask. But in her gut, as much as she hated to admit it, she knew the thief was right. She turned to X and glanced down at his belt. That's when it hit her.

"You." She cut her eyes back to him. "You can get me in."

"Excuse me?"

"You know exactly where the drone is," Mar'i explained. "Your belt. You can give it to me. Tell me where to go. I'll get inside without anyone seeing me. That means I can take as much time as I need to look for the clock. I won't get in the way of the others because they won't even know I'm there."

"Now that's a terrible idea if I ever heard one." The eyes of X's mask frowned disapprovingly. "I'm not giving belt full of Xenothium to a schoolgirl."

"I'm pretty sure we're the same age." Mar'i quipped.

"Technically, kid. I'm at least 20 years your senior where you're from so respect your elders."

"Why is it any safer for you to wear it than me? You expose yourself to it every day so-"

"Look, kid." X cut her off. "I'm not sending you in there by yourself. I'd prefer it if you didn't die on my watch."

Mar'i took half a step back and unsure of how to respond.

"Geez, don't act so surprised." X rolled his eyes under his mask. "I'm not heartless."

Mar'i breathed a sigh of frustration but just as she was bout to give up hope, Red X he grabbed a vile of what appeared to be liquid Xenothium from one of the pockets.

"What's that for?" Mar'i asked him as she studied the vile.

"I said I wasn't sending you in there by yourself. Your idea is crazy... but if we go in together it's a little less crazy. If we find the clock, I can send you back myself."

"You're serious?" Mar'i raised an eyebrow.

"I'm rarely serious, kid. But if you stay with me, I can keep you safe. And if something goes haywire, I can get you out."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Mar'i questioned.

"I don't know. You're just going to have to." X said. "Despite what you think of me, I like you, kid. And as weird as it sounds... I feel responsible. Like, I have to get you home." X extended a hand to her. "What do you say?"

Mar'i eye him uncertainly but felt her put her hand in his despite her better judgment. He held it firmly and Mar'i couldn't help but sense a familiarity in his grasp. It wasn't like Robin's, but it was similar. The truth was she didn't fully trust X, but something in her gut told her she needed to. Red X nodded and gripped the vile in his other hand.

"Just follow my lead, okay?" motioned for her to follow him towards the crowd. They exited the alleyway and made their way toward the scene. As they got closer, Mar'i looked at his suit.

"You don't exactly blend in..."

"I won't need to." He answered and in one swift motion, tossed the vile over the crowd. It broke next to a line of cop cars letting the red dust explode. A cloud of red enveloped the area. As the crowd started to grow into a panic, X hit the center of his belt and disappeared next to her.

"What did you just do?!" Mar'i screamed into the nothing around her.

"Just follow me!" She heard his disembodied voice tell her as she felt a pressure wrap around her hand. Mar'i was pulled by the invisible force through the red smoke. The police we calling in the incident asking for back up and pleading with civilians to clear the area. In a few more seconds, she was lead out of the cloud of red smoke and to the back of the building.

"You probably just gave us all radiation poisoning!" Mar'i yelled as the once invisible X reappeared with his hand still gripping her hand and led her to a loading garage.

"Chill out, will you?" He said to her. "The stuff's unstable but it's not radioactive. Seriously, I thought Chemistry was your thing?"

"I can't say we've worked with it much class because it's _illegal_!" Mar'i shook out of his grip. "We could all be infected with-"

"Dammit, Mar'i! If you're that concerned, just take a shower later." X cursed in aggravation before directing her attention to the garage behind them. "This is the truck entrance to the distribution center. It's your typical assembly line set-up inside, but there is an upper-level where management offices are located. That's where we're going." He took off his belt and placed it around her waist.

"What happened to not giving your belt to a schoolgirl?"

"If Robin sees you with me, he'll have every reason not to trust you if this doesn't work out. It's better for him to catch me inside than you"

"You're pretty kind for a selfish jerk." Mar'i snorted.

"One of my better qualities," He remarked as pushed the center of the belt allowing Mar'i to be disguised with the invisibility cloaking. Though she didn't feel anything, she assumed she was disguised.

"There's a scanner installed in my mask that will allow me to still see you," X assured her as he tapped the left eye of his mask.

"Impressive." Mar'i said.

"Don't be impressed with me. Your dad designed the suit, but that's another story for another time. Come on, let's find that clock." He grabbed her hand and the two entered the building.


End file.
